Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30957239›Full record

ArticleJournal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines2019

Genetic and environmental influences on the stability of psychotic experiences and negative symptoms in adolescence.

Laura Havers, Mark J Taylor, Angelica Ronald

Abstract readTwin Study
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Research Review: A review of the past decade of family and genomic studies on adolescent mental health.Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines · 2025
    Review
  2. Predicting persistence of hallucinations from childhood to adolescence.The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science · 2021
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Laura HaversDepartment of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK.
Mark J TaylorDepartment of Medical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Angelica RonaldDepartment of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK.

Funding

Medical Research Council G1100559Medical Research Council MR/M021475/1Wellcome Trust ISSF fund
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPsychotic experiences (PEs) such as paranoia and hallucinations, and negative symptoms (NS) such as anhedonia and flat affect are common in adolescence. Psychotic experiences and negative symptoms (PENS) increase risk for later psychiatric outcomes, particularly when they persist. The extent to which genetic and environmental influences contribute to the stability of PENS in mid-to-late adolescence is unknown.

methodsUsing the Specific Psychotic Experiences Questionnaire (SPEQ) twice across ~9 months in adolescence, N = 1,448 twin pairs [M = 16.32 (0.68)] reported experiences of paranoia, hallucinations, cognitive disorganization, grandiosity and anhedonia, and their parents reported on a range of NS. Individuals were split into low-scoring, decreasing, increasing and persistent groups for each subscale. Frequencies and mean differences in distress, depression traits and emotional problems were investigated across groups. Longitudinal structural equation modelling was used to estimate the aetiological components underlying the stability of PENS.

resultsPhenotypic stability was moderate for all PENS (r = .59-.69). Persistent PENS across 9 months were associated with greater levels of distress (V = 0.15-0.46, for PEs only), depression traits (d = 0.47-1.67, except grandiosity) and emotional problems (d = 0.47-1.47, except grandiosity and anhedonia) at baseline compared to groups with transitory or low levels of PENS. At both ages PENS were heritable and influenced by shared and nonshared environment. Genetic influences contributed 38%-62% and shared environment contributed 13%-33% to the stability of PENS. Nonshared environment contributed 34%-41% (12% for parent-rated NS). There was strong overlap of genetic and shared environmental influences across time, and lower overlap for nonshared environment. Imperfect stability of PENS was at least partly due to nonshared environmental influences.

conclusionsWhen adolescent PENS persist over time, they are often characterized by more distress, and higher levels of other psychopathology. Both genetic and environmental effects influence stability of PENS.

Indexed as

AdolescentEnvironmentFemaleGenetic Predisposition to DiseaseHumansLongitudinal StudiesMalePsychotic DisordersAdolescenceaetiologydevelopmentmental healthpsychosis

Identifiers

PMID30957239
PMCPMC6619355

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.