title: Modelling difficulties in abstract thinking in psychosis: the importance of socio-developmental background.
abstract: Abstract thinking is important in modern understanding of neurocognitive abilities, and a symptom of thought disorder in psychosis. In patients with psychosis, we assessed if socio-developmental background influences abstract thinking, and the association with executive functioning and clinical psychosis symptoms.
  
  
  
  Participants (n = 174) had a diagnosis of psychotic or bipolar disorder, were 17-65 years, intelligence quotient (IQ) > 70, fluent in a Scandinavian language, and their full primary education in Norway. Immigrants (N = 58) were matched (1:2) with participants without a history of migration (N = 116). All participants completed a neurocognitive and clinical assessment. Socio-developmental background was operationalised as human developmental index (HDI) of country of birth, at year of birth. Structural equation modelling was used to assess the model with best fit.
  
  
  
  The model with best fit, χ2= 96.591, df = 33, p < .001, confirmed a significant indirect effect of HDI scores on abstract thinking through executive functioning, but not through clinical psychosis symptoms.
  
  
  
  This study found that socio-developmental background influences abstract thinking in psychosis by indirect effect through executive functioning. We should take into account socio-developmental background in the interpretation of neurocognitive performance in patients with psychosis, and prioritise cognitive remediation in treatment of immigrant patients.
authors.affiliation: a NORMENT - K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine , University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway.|b NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction , Oslo University Hospital , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.affiliation: a NORMENT - K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine , University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway.|b NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction , Oslo University Hospital , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Melle
authors.affiliation: a NORMENT - K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine , University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway.|b NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction , Oslo University Hospital , Oslo , Norway.|c Prostate Cancer Research Group, Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Nordic EMBL Partnership , University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital , Oslo , Norway.|d European Molecular Biology Laboratory , European Bioinformatics Institute , Cambridge , UK.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zuber
authors.affiliation: a NORMENT - K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine , University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway.|b NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction , Oslo University Hospital , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Simonsen
authors.affiliation: a NORMENT - K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine , University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway.|b NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction , Oslo University Hospital , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nerhus
authors.affiliation: a NORMENT - K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine , University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway.|b NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction , Oslo University Hospital , Oslo , Norway.|e Department of Psychology , University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueland
authors.affiliation: a NORMENT - K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine , University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway.|b NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction , Oslo University Hospital , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Andreassen
authors.affiliation: a NORMENT - K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine , University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway.|b NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction , Oslo University Hospital , Oslo , Norway.|e Department of Psychology , University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sundet
authors.affiliation: a NORMENT - K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine , University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway.|b NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction , Oslo University Hospital , Oslo , Norway.|e Department of Psychology , University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vaskinn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009664:Norway; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D013850:Thinking; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Psychosis; abstract thinking; executive functioning; immigrants; schizophrenia