title: Arousal Predisposition as a Vulnerability Indicator for Psychosis: A General Population Online Stress Induction Study.
abstract: Explanatory models ascribe to arousability a central role for the development of psychotic symptoms. Thus, a disposition to hyperarousal (i.e., increased arousal predisposition (AP)) may serve as an underlying vulnerability indicator for psychosis by interacting with stressors to cause symptoms. In this case, AP, stress-response, and psychotic symptoms should be linked before the development of a diagnosable psychotic disorder. We conducted a cross-sectional online study in a population sample (N = 104; M age = 27.7 years, SD = 11.2, range 18-70). Participants rated their AP and subclinical psychotic symptoms. Participants reported their stress-levels before and after two stress inductions including an arithmetic and a social stressor. The participants with an increased AP generally felt more stressed. However, AP was not associated with the specific stress-response. As expected, positive psychotic symptoms were significantly associated with AP, but this was not mediated by general stress-levels. Its association to subtle, nonclinical psychotic symptoms supports our assumption that AP could be a vulnerability indicator for psychosis. The trait is easily accessible via a short self-report and could facilitate the identification of people at risk and be a promising target for early stress-management. Further research is needed to clarify its predictive value for stress-responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Hamburg, Von-Melle-Park 5, 20146 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Annika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Clamor
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Hamburg, Von-Melle-Park 5, 20146 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: A Malika
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Warmuth
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Hamburg, Von-Melle-Park 5, 20146 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Tania M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Lincoln