Comparison of experiences of stress and coping between young people at risk of psychosis and a non-clinical cohort

Abstract

Background: Although the experience of stress and associated coping responses are thought to play a role in the onset of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, there is little empirical evidence to support such a relationship. The relatively recent development of validated and reliable criteria for identifying young people at "ultra" high-risk (UHR) of psychosis has enabled the process of illness onset to be studied more closely than was previously possible. Method: This longitudinal study compared the experiences of stress and coping between a UHR cohort (N = 143) and a healthy comparison group (HC group, N = 32). Results: The UHR group experienced significantly fewer life events over..