Differentiating kinds of systemic stressors with relation to psychotic-like experiences in late childhood and early adolescence: the stimulation, discrepancy, and deprivation model of psychosis.

INTRODUCTION: Conceptualizations that distinguish systems-level stress exposures are lacking; the Stimulation (lack of safety and high attentional demands), Discrepancy (social exclusion and lack of belonging), and Deprivation (lack of environmental enrichment) (SDD) theory of psychosis and stressors occurring at the systems-level has not been directly tested.
METHODS: Exploratory factor analysis was conducted on 3,207 youth, and associations with psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) were explored.
RESULTS: Though model fit was suboptimal, five factors were defined, and four were consistent with the SDD theory, and related to PLEs. Objective and subjective/self-report exposures for deprivation showed significantly stronger PLE associations compared to discrepancy and objective stimulation factors. Objective and subjective/self-report measures converged overall, though self-report stimulation exhibited a significantly stronger association with PLEs compared to objective stimulation. DISCUSSION: Considering distinct system-level exposures could help clarify putative mechanisms and psychosis vulnerability. The preliminary approach potentially informs health policy efforts aimed at psychopathology prevention and intervention.