A Network Approach to Environmental Impact in Psychotic Disorder: Brief Theoretical Framework

Adela-Maria Isvoranu*, Denny Borsboom, Jim van Os, Sinan Guloksuz

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

The spectrum of psychotic disorder represents a multifactorial and heterogeneous condition and is thought to result from a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. In the current paper, we analyze this interplay using network analysis, which has been recently proposed as a novel psychometric framework for the study of mental disorders. Using general population data, we construct network models for the relation between 3 environmental risk factors (cannabis use, developmental trauma, and urban environment), dimensional measures of psychopathology (anxiety, depression, interpersonal sensitivity, obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobic anxiety, somatizations, and hostility), and a composite measure of psychosis expression. Results indicate the existence of specific paths between environmental factors and symptoms. These paths most often involve cannabis use. In addition, the analyses suggest that symptom networks are more strongly connected for people exposed to environmental risk factors, implying that environmental exposure may lead to less resilient symptom networks.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)870-873
JournalSchizophrenia Bulletin
Volume42
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2016

Keywords

  • psychosis
  • environmental exposure
  • risk factors
  • network analysis

Cite this