The dimensional approach of psychotic disorders stipulates that psychosis exists between clinical and non-clinical individuals through a continuum ranging from subclinical psychotic experiences (PEs) to severe and persistent psychotic symptoms. PEs could be defined as the presence of attenuated forms of psychotic symptoms (including hallucinations and delusions) in the absence of diagnosable illness, hence in non-clinical populations. PEs have been shown to be associated with a propensity to develop later psychotic disorders, thus representing an extended psychosis phenotype.
Recent research highlighted that psychosis expression is culturally dependent. Indeed, it has been found that prevalence rates of PEs vary across countries and cultures. Thus far, only limited evidence has suggested that these prevalence rates are higher in developing countries than in developed countries, with reasons explaining these differences being unclear. In addition, the manifestation and correlates of PEs were found to not be cross-culturally generalizable. However, most of the existing studies' investigations of PEs were based on high-income Western countries (mainly Europe and the United States), which have been found to not be true representations of the general population worldwide.
The main goal of this Research Topic is to expand our understanding of the peculiarities of clinical presentations of PEs in developing countries. Another important goal is to investigate the cultural mechanisms that might contribute to the expression of PEs, which have previously proven to be highly culturally dependent. One of the effective ways to achieve this goal is to obtain valid estimates of the prevalence rates of PEs and symptoms among healthy youths in these under-researched countries; which may be possible through assessment using appropriate and valid tools applicable to the cultural context.
Early detection and intervention programs in psychosis are still in their infancy in many developing countries. Important challenges to early identification of psychosis in these countries may include the non-recognition of early signs and symptoms and the non-recognition of the different environmental and biological risk factors for the development of psychosis. Prevention and intervention programs implemented in developed countries may be not universal and not applicable in various cultural backgrounds. Thus, further knowledge of the risk factors and markers of early symptoms of psychosis is warranted in developed countries’ settings and populations.
We welcome original research studies and reviews performed among samples of adolescents and young adults from the general population in developing countries, covering the following topics:
• Prevalence rates of PEs and symptoms in different groups of the general population (e.g., students, primary healthcare seekers)
• Cultural variations in the PEs’ manifestation across developing countries
• Environmental risk factors for PEs and symptoms in non-clinical community individuals (e.g., cannabis, childhood trauma, bullying)
• PEs and comorbid psychopathology (e.g., anxiety and depressive disorders, personality traits)
• Markers of PEs and symptoms, including neurocognitive deficits, neuroimaging parameters, and other biomarkers
• Genetic risk for developing PEs and symptoms
• Novel neuroimaging findings of PEs and symptoms
• Validation and standardization of different screening tools for the detection of PEs in local languages of developing countries.
The dimensional approach of psychotic disorders stipulates that psychosis exists between clinical and non-clinical individuals through a continuum ranging from subclinical psychotic experiences (PEs) to severe and persistent psychotic symptoms. PEs could be defined as the presence of attenuated forms of psychotic symptoms (including hallucinations and delusions) in the absence of diagnosable illness, hence in non-clinical populations. PEs have been shown to be associated with a propensity to develop later psychotic disorders, thus representing an extended psychosis phenotype.
Recent research highlighted that psychosis expression is culturally dependent. Indeed, it has been found that prevalence rates of PEs vary across countries and cultures. Thus far, only limited evidence has suggested that these prevalence rates are higher in developing countries than in developed countries, with reasons explaining these differences being unclear. In addition, the manifestation and correlates of PEs were found to not be cross-culturally generalizable. However, most of the existing studies' investigations of PEs were based on high-income Western countries (mainly Europe and the United States), which have been found to not be true representations of the general population worldwide.
The main goal of this Research Topic is to expand our understanding of the peculiarities of clinical presentations of PEs in developing countries. Another important goal is to investigate the cultural mechanisms that might contribute to the expression of PEs, which have previously proven to be highly culturally dependent. One of the effective ways to achieve this goal is to obtain valid estimates of the prevalence rates of PEs and symptoms among healthy youths in these under-researched countries; which may be possible through assessment using appropriate and valid tools applicable to the cultural context.
Early detection and intervention programs in psychosis are still in their infancy in many developing countries. Important challenges to early identification of psychosis in these countries may include the non-recognition of early signs and symptoms and the non-recognition of the different environmental and biological risk factors for the development of psychosis. Prevention and intervention programs implemented in developed countries may be not universal and not applicable in various cultural backgrounds. Thus, further knowledge of the risk factors and markers of early symptoms of psychosis is warranted in developed countries’ settings and populations.
We welcome original research studies and reviews performed among samples of adolescents and young adults from the general population in developing countries, covering the following topics:
• Prevalence rates of PEs and symptoms in different groups of the general population (e.g., students, primary healthcare seekers)
• Cultural variations in the PEs’ manifestation across developing countries
• Environmental risk factors for PEs and symptoms in non-clinical community individuals (e.g., cannabis, childhood trauma, bullying)
• PEs and comorbid psychopathology (e.g., anxiety and depressive disorders, personality traits)
• Markers of PEs and symptoms, including neurocognitive deficits, neuroimaging parameters, and other biomarkers
• Genetic risk for developing PEs and symptoms
• Novel neuroimaging findings of PEs and symptoms
• Validation and standardization of different screening tools for the detection of PEs in local languages of developing countries.
