A Six-year Follow-up Study in a Community-based Population: Is Neighbourhood-level Social Capital Associated with the Risk of Emergence and Persistence of Psychotic Experiences and Transition to Psychotic Disorder?

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Ergül Arslan C., Binbay İ. T., Drukker M., Kırlı U., Elbi H., Alptekin K., ...More

The 7th Biennial Schizophrenia International Research Society Conference, Florence, Italy, 6 - 10 April 2022, pp.1-2, (Summary Text)

  • Publication Type: Conference Paper / Summary Text
  • City: Florence
  • Country: Italy
  • Page Numbers: pp.1-2
  • Open Archive Collection: AVESIS Open Access Collection
  • Dokuz Eylül University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Background Social capital is thought to represent an environmental influence impacting risk of psychotic disorder. This study aims to investigate the association between neighbourhood-level social capital and clinical transitions within the spectrum of psychosis.

Methods 2175 participants, representative of a community-based population, were assessed twice (6-years apart) to determine their position within an extended psychosis spectrum: no symptoms, subclinical psychotic experiences (PE), clinical PE, psychotic disorder (PD). A variable representing change between baseline (T1) and follow-up (T2) assessment was constructed. Four dimensions of social capital (informal social control, social disorganisation, social cohesion and trust, cognitive social capital) were assessed at baseline in an independent sample, and the measures were aggregated to the neighbourhood level. Associations between the variable representing psychosis spectrum change from T1 to T2 and the social capital variables were investigated.

Results Lower levels of neighbourhood-level social disorganization, meaning higher levels of social capital, reduced the risk of clinical PE onset (OR=0.300; z=-2.75; p=0.006), persistence of clinical PE (OR=0.314; z=-2.36; p=0.018) and also the transition to PD (OR=0.136; z=-2.12; p=0.034). The other social capital variables were not associated with changes from T1 to T2.

Discussion Neighbourhood-level social disorganisation may impact the risk of psychosis expression. Whilst replication of this finding is required, it may point to level of social disorganisation as a public health target moderating population psychosis risk.