Role of distress in delusion formation.
BACKGROUND
Contemporary cognitive psychological theories suggest that distress plays a mediating role in delusion formation.


OBJECTIVE
To study the amplifying role of distress from early perceptual intrusions to delusion formation.


METHODS
A general population sample of 7076 individuals was interviewed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) in 1996 (baseline), 1997 (T1) and 1999 (T2). At T2, clinicians also scored the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) item "unusual thought content". Analyses compared hallucinatory experiences with and without subjective distress at baseline for risk of delusion formation at follow-up.


RESULTS
Individuals experiencing hallucinations with distress, compared with those without distress had a fourfold increased risk of subsequent delusion formation.


CONCLUSIONS
This finding corroborates the hypothesis that distress associated with early perceptual intrusions serves as a catalyst in the development of delusions.
Hanssen
Manon
M
Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, PO Box 616 (DRT 10), 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Krabbendam
Lydia
L
de Graaf
Ron
R
Vollebergh
Wilma
W
van Os
Jim
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; D003702:Delusions / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*