title: The impact of neuropsychological functioning and coping style on perceived stress in individuals with first-episode psychosis and healthy controls.
abstract: Stress is implicated in the development and course of psychotic illness, but the factors that influence stress levels are not well understood. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of neuropsychological functioning and coping styles on perceived stress in people with first-episode psychosis (FEP) and healthy controls (HC). Thirty-four minimally treated FEP patients from the Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre, Melbourne, Australia, and 26 HC participants from a similar demographic area participated in the study. Participants completed a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery as well as the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (task-, emotion- and avoidance-focussed coping styles) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Linear regressions were used to determine the contribution of neuropsychological functioning and coping style to perceived stress in the two groups. In the FEP group, higher levels of emotion-focussed and lower levels of task-focussed coping were associated with elevated stress. Higher premorbid IQ and working memory were also associated with higher subjective stress. In the HC group, higher levels of emotion-focussed coping, and contrary to the FEP group, lower premorbid IQ, working memory and executive functioning, were associated with increased stress. Lower intellectual functioning may provide some protection against perceived stress in FEP.
authors.affiliation: Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health; Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia. Electronic address: kelly.allott@orygen.org.au.
authors.forename: Kelly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Allott
authors.affiliation: Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health; Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rapado-Castro
authors.affiliation: Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health; Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
authors.forename: Tina-Marie
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Proffitt
authors.affiliation: Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bendall
authors.affiliation: Addictions Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King׳s College London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Belinda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Garner
authors.affiliation: Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health; Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
authors.forename: Felicity
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Butselaar
authors.affiliation: Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health; Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
authors.forename: Connie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Markulev
authors.affiliation: Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Phassouliotis
authors.affiliation: Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health; Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
authors.forename: Patrick D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: McGorry
authors.affiliation: Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.affiliation: Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health; Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Cotton
authors.affiliation: Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
authors.forename: Lisa J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001315:Australia; D004644:Emotions; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cognition; Early psychosis; Emotion-focussed coping; Intelligence; Stress; Task-focussed coping; Working memory