title: A longitudinal investigation of childhood communication ability and adolescent psychotic experiences in a community sample.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Some childhood speech and language impairments precede psychosis but it is not clear whether they also precede adolescent psychotic experiences and whether this association is specific to psychotic experiences.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pragmatic language and expressive speech and language (parent-assessed using the Children's Communication Checklist) at age 9 and psychotic experiences and depression at ages 12 and 18 were investigated in 7659 participants from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Associations were investigated using multivariate modelling.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Poorer pragmatic language at 9years was associated with psychotic experiences at both ages (12years OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.11, 1.34; 18years OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.10, 1.41) but only with depression at 18years (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.00, 1.22). Poorer expressive speech and language ability was not associated with psychotic experiences or depression at either age. There was evidence that pragmatic language was specifically associated with psychotic experiences at age 12 but no evidence that the strength of any of the associations changed over time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Deficits in pragmatic language precede early and late adolescent psychotic experiences and early adolescent depression. Interventions aimed at helping children improve pragmatic language skills may reduce the incidence of adolescent psychopathology and associated psychological disorder and dysfunction later in life.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Academic Mental Health, University of Bristol, Oakfield House, Oakfield Grove, Bristol, UK; CLAHRC West, Whitefriars, Lewins Mead, Bristol, UK. Electronic address: sarah.sullivan@bristol.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Sarah A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.affiliation: Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, University of Bristol, Oakfield House, Oakfield Grove, Bristol, UK. Electronic address: linda.hollen@bristol.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hollen
authors.affiliation: Bristol Speech and Language Therapy Research Unit, North Bristol NHS Trust, Frenchay Hospital, Bristol, UK. Electronic address: yvonne.wren@speech-therapy.org.uk.
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wren
authors.affiliation: Division of Mental Health and Wellbeing, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK. Electronic address: Andrew.D.Thompson@warwick.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Andrew D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.affiliation: Division of Psychiatry, University College London Charles Bell House, Gower St, London, UK. Electronic address: glyn.lewis@ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Glyn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: Centre for Academic Mental Health, University of Bristol, Oakfield House, Oakfield Grove, Bristol, UK; Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cardiff, Haydn Ellis Building, Maindy Road, Cardiff, UK. Electronic address: stan.zammit@bristol.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Stan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zammit
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: ALSPAC; Adolescent depression; Adolescent psychotic experiences; Expressive speech and language; Pragmatic language