title: 'Jumping to conclusions' in first-episode psychosis: a longitudinal study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  People with psychotic symptoms are reported to have a characteristic reasoning style in which they jump to conclusions. To date, little research has been conducted to investigate if this style changes over time and is associated with improvements or worsening of symptoms. This study considered these questions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one service users were recruited from a first-episode service and completed measures of reasoning, psychotic, and non-psychotic symptomatology at two time points over 2 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over time, people with psychosis generally became less hasty in their decision-making. Those who became less hasty in their reasoning were less symptomatic. For those who remained very hasty in their reasoning, this was associated with a worsening specifically of the delusional beliefs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This work supports the notion that there is a critical time in the first few years of psychosis during which symptoms and reasoning can change. However, where reasoning style does not change, this may be associated with greater difficulties associated with delusional beliefs.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Psychology, Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK; Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Foundation Trust, Sunderland, UK.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dudley
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Daley
authors.forename: Marsha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nicholson
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shaftoe
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cavanagh
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Freeston
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003657:Decision Making; D003702:Delusions / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011340:Problem Solving; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D013850:Thinking; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Psychosis; delusions; reasoning