Evidence for Environmental Risk Factors and Cumulative Stress Linking Racial/Ethnic Identity and Psychotic-Like Experiences in ABCD Study Data

Abstract

Objective: Previous work has found increased endorsement of psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) among marginalized racial and ethnic groups. According to social determinants frameworks, marginalized groups are at increased risk for exposure to socioenvironmental risk factors, including systemic factors (eg, poverty and poor housing conditions) and social stressors (eg, discrimination). We examine the extent to which environmental risk factors and stress account for associations between racial/ethnic groups with PLEs.

Method: Analyses included 11,876 young adolescents 9 to 10 years of age from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Mediation models assessed whether stress at 1-year follow-up indirectly linked baseline environmental risk to later distressing PLEs at 2-year follow-up. Serial mediation models examined whether environmental risk and stress indirectly accounted for variation among racial/ethnic groups in self-reported distressing PLEs.

Results: Through principal component and mediation analyses, we found evidence that the link between environmental risk (eg, poverty and exposure to crime) and distressing PLEs was mediated by stress. There was also evidence that higher endorsement of distressing PLEs within the Black and Hispanic groups was serially mediated by greater environmental risk and greater stress.

Conclusion: The analyses provide evidence that the associations between marginalized racial and ethnic identities with the endorsement of PLEs partially reflects the sequelae of systemic socioenvironmental factors. Findings suggest the potential for intervening upon environmental risk factors to target the reduction of cumulative stress over time, which may in turn buffer against the development of PLEs.

Plain language summary: Using longitudinal data from 11,876 young adolescents aged 9 to 10 from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, this study examined environmental (eg, poverty, exposure to crime) and stress-related factors (eg, experiences of discrimination, childhood adversity) that were associated with psychotic-like experiences, and whether these factors explained racial/ethnic differences in psychotic-like experiences (PLE). Principle component and mediation analysis found an association between environmental risk and PLEs was partially explained by cumulative stress. Differences in PLEs across racial/ethnic groups were accounted for by both environmental risk and stress. Results highlight that systemic factors may explain higher levels of PLEs among historically marginalized racial/ethnic groups. Findings suggest the potential for intervening upon modifiable risk factors to buffer against stress and reduce the risk of developing PLEs.

Diversity inclusion statement: We worked to ensure sex and gender balance in the recruitment of human participants. One or more of the authors of this paper self-identifies as a member of one or more historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science. One or more of the authors of this paper self-identifies as a member of one or more historically underrepresented sexual and/or gender groups in science. We actively worked to promote sex and gender balance in our author group. We worked to ensure race, ethnic, and/or other types of diversity in the recruitment of human participants. We worked to ensure that the study questionnaires were prepared in an inclusive way.

Keywords: environment; ethnicity; psychotic-like experiences; race; stress.