Unravelling early transdiagnostic dynamics of psychotic-like experiences in young adults: Results from a cross-lagged panel network analysis

Psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are potential transdiagnostic markers of psychopathology. However, temporal patterns of associations between PLEs and other symptoms remain unclear. Moreover, it needs to be clarified as to whether PLEs might be primary targets for interventions. This study aimed to investigate longitudinal associations of PLEs with other psychopathological symptoms. A total of 1314 young adults (aged 29.3 ± 5.7, 49.2 % women) without a lifetime history of psychiatric treatment completed online assessments, measuring psychopathological symptoms, at baseline and after 6 months. A cross-lagged panel network was analyzed. Output (the sum of edge weights from a specific node to all other nodes) and input (the sum of edge weights to a specific node from all other nodes) centralities were estimated. Age, gender, education, employment, and place of residence were the covariates. The highest output centrality was found for PLEs while the highest input centrality was observed for obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Centrality metrics of these symptom domains were significantly higher compared to centrality metrics of other psychopathological domains. PLEs showed cross-lagged associations with all other symptom domains. The strongest cross-lagged edge in the network led from PLEs to obsessive-compulsive symptoms (weight = 0.611). It was significantly stronger compared to all other cross-lagged edges in the network. The results were partially replicated in the network of specific symptoms. The findings indicate that PLEs might precede the emergence of other domains of psychopathology. The highest output centrality of PLEs suggests their potential utility as primary targets for early interventions.