Title Page
Individuals with ultra high-risk for psychosis
experience impaired coping styles compared with healthy controls
Xiao-Yang He1,2, Zhuo-Hui Huang1,
Fei Wang1, Fujun Jia1,, Cai-Lan
Hou1*
1Guangdong Mental Health Center, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital
(Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University;
2The Affiliated Mental Health Center of Jiangnan
University, Wuxi Central Rehabilitation
Hospital,WuXi,Jiangsu,214151,China;
* Address correspondence to: Dr. Cai-Lan Hou, 7/F. Guangdong
Mental Health Center, Guangdong Province, PR China.
Fax:0086-20-81882664; Phone: 0086-
20-81888553; Email: houcl1975@163.com
Background: The study was designed to assess the role of coping
style and self-esteem in the context of different phases of
schizophrenia.
Methods: Recurrent Schizophrenia (ReSch),
first -episode schizophrenia patients (FEP), ultra-high risk for
psychosis (UHR) patients, and healthy controls (HC) (40 per group) were
subjected to in-person clinical interviews. The results of these
interviews were then used to gauge coping style and self-esteem using
the Coping Styles Questionnaire (CSQ) and the Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem
Scale (RSES). Data were analyzed through ANCOVAs and logistic regression
analyses.
Results: The results found that positive coping style
(CSQ problem-solving and CSQ seeking for help) generally decline with
progression through the HC, UHR, and FEP groups,while negative coping
style(CSQ fantasy,CSQ repression and CSQ self-blame) generally increase
with progression through the HC, UHR,and FEP groups (except that UHR
group was slightly lower than HC group in CSQ self-blame).Results for
members of ReSch group were in line with those of members of the FEP
group in coping style. At the level of self-esteem, the UHR group was
similar to the HC group and significantly higher than the FEP group and
the ReSch group. Logistic regression analyses indicated that UHR group
patients exhibited increased negative coping styles (CSQ fantasy)
relative to members of the HC group, but had greater Positive coping
style (CSQ problem-solving) than did members of the FEP group.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that both UHR individuals
experience impaired negative coping styles which expands the
understanding of the psychological characteristics of the prodromal
group. Further explorations are warranted to develop optimal
psychosocial interventions.
Keywords: coping style, schizophrenia, self-esteem, ultra-high
risk for psychosis.