loading page

The role of Psychotic-Like Experiences in the association between Aberrant Salience and Anxiety: a case-control mediation study
  • +3
  • Giuseppe Pierpaolo Merola,
  • Andrea Patti,
  • Davide Benedetti,
  • Bernardo Bozza,
  • Andrea Ballerini,
  • Valdo Ricca
Giuseppe Pierpaolo Merola
University of Florence

Corresponding Author:giuseppepierpaolo.merola@unifi.it

Author Profile
Andrea Patti
University of Florence
Author Profile
Davide Benedetti
University of Florence
Author Profile
Bernardo Bozza
University of Florence
Author Profile
Andrea Ballerini
Author Profile
Valdo Ricca
UniversitĂ  degli Studi di Firenze
Author Profile

Abstract

Introduction: Aberrant salience and psychotic-like experiences have been proven to be linked. Moreover, anxiety is a key symptom in psychosis prone subjects and in most psychotic patients. We propose a mediation model that attempts to interpret the role of psychotic-like experiences in the association between aberrant salience and anxiety among healthy controls and psychotic patients. Materials and Methods: Demographic and psychometric data (Aberrant Salience Inventory, Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences, Symptom Check List-90-revised) from 163 controls and 27 psychotic patients was collected. Descriptive statistics, correlations and a mediation analysis with covariates were subsequently performed. Results: Aberrant salience correlated with more frequent positive psychotic-like experiences and higher anxiety levels in both patients and controls. However, positive psychotic-like experiences’ frequency mediated the relationship between aberrant salience and anxiety only among controls. Conclusions: The preservation of insight onto their psychotic-like experiences among controls with high aberrant salience, and its partial or complete loss in psychotic patients seems to be the most probable hypothesis to explain why psychotic-like experiences linked to aberrant salience appear to induce anxiety among the former group but not the latter.
21 Jul 20231st Revision Received
22 Jul 2023Submission Checks Completed
22 Jul 2023Assigned to Editor
22 Jul 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
22 Jul 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
29 Aug 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
20 Sep 20232nd Revision Received
25 Sep 2023Submission Checks Completed
25 Sep 2023Assigned to Editor
25 Sep 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
19 Nov 2023Editorial Decision: Accept