# A latent profile analysis of positive psychotic symptoms and dissociative symptoms in the general population: their associations with childhood trauma and outcomes

## TL;DR

This study identifies four distinct groups of people with different levels of positive psychotic and dissociative symptoms in the general population and explores their links to childhood trauma and mental health outcomes.

## Contribution

The study introduces a novel application of latent profile analysis to identify distinct subgroups of individuals with co-occurring positive psychotic and dissociative symptoms in the general population.

## Key findings

- Four distinct profiles were identified: low overall, moderate (hallucinatory), moderate (dissociative), and high overall.
- Childhood emotional/sexual abuse and physical neglect were key differentiators between the low overall profile and others.
- The high overall and moderate dissociative profiles showed persistent elevated depression over time.

## Abstract

Psychosis and dissociation are inter-correlated syndromes. As they are both multifaceted constructs, individuals experiencing positive psychotic and dissociative symptoms may have heterogeneous presentations of co-occurring symptomatology. This study aimed to identify phenotypes of individuals with varying degrees of these co-occurring symptoms in the general population, while also examining the impact of childhood trauma and prospective emotional and functional outcomes associated with these phenotypes.

Participants were recruited from the general population through diverse means. At baseline and six months after, adults (age 18–65) were assessed for positive psychotic symptoms, dissociative symptoms, depression, anxiety, and functioning using an online survey. Childhood trauma was assessed at baseline only. Distinct subgroups were estimated by latent profile analysis, with childhood trauma examined as predictor of the profiles. The identified profiles were compared on emotional and functional outcomes at both timepoints.

The community sample consisted of 2,958 individuals (mean age = 34.69; 72.5% female). Four distinct profiles were identified – ‘low overall’, ‘moderate (hallucinatory)’, ‘moderate (dissociative)’, and ‘high overall’. Emotional/sexual abuse and physical neglect notably differentiated the ‘low overall’ profile from the other three profiles, with sexual abuse specifically linked to the ‘high overall’ and ‘moderate (hallucinatory)’ profiles. The ‘high overall’ and ‘moderate (dissociative)’ profiles exhibited persistent elevated depression across timepoints than the other profiles.

Distinct profiles of varying levels of co-occurring positive psychotic and dissociative symptoms were identified in the general population. The implications for early identification and intervention of these commonly co-occurring symptoms are discussed.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00127-025-02992-3.