Aim

The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence rate of objective and subjective psychosis-like experiences (PLEs) in non-help-seeking college students and to explore their differential contributions to suicidal ideation.

Methods

First-year college students were recruited and surveyed with the Chinese version of the 16-item Prodromal Questionnaire (CPQ-16), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSI). The Structured Interview of Psychosis-Risk Syndromes (SIPS) was conducted in individuals with a CPQ-16 score of 9 or higher.

Results

Data were available for 8367 students. Three hundred and seventy of them scored 9 or higher on the CPQ-16, suggesting potential PLEs (4.42%). Among them, 194 agreed to the SIPS screening. The PLEs were confirmed in 103 individuals who scored 1–5 on any positive symptom scales of the SIPS (objective PLEs, oPLEs). For the remaining 91 individuals, their PLEs were not confirmed by the SIPS and thus were categorized as individuals with subjective PLEs (sPLEs). In univariate logistic regression, oPLEs was associated with a two times risk of suicidal ideation compared to sPLEs (OR = 1.971, p = .029). In multivariate logistic regression when non-PLE status was set as a reference, oPLEs significantly predicted suicidal ideation (OR = 3.441, p = .011), while the sPLEs (OR = 2.277, p = .091) was no longer a significant predictor after controlling for PHQ-9, GAD-7 and CPQ-SF scores.

Conclusions

OPLEs and sPLEs have differential contributions to suicidal ideation. OPLEs seems to be associated with a higher risk of suicidal ideation and is independent of other psychopathology.