Relationship between prodromal symptoms of psychosis and suicidal ideation among Colombian school adolescents

Prodromal symptoms of psychosis are a public health problem that causes distress and are linked to schizophrenia. However, knowledge among school students from the community is limited. The study aimed to know the relationship of prodromal symptoms of psychosis with suicidal ideation in school adolescents from a city in the Caribbean Region of Colombia. A cross-sectional study was conducted, with participants being tenth- and eleventh-grade students. The participants filled out the prodromal symptoms questionnaire (PQ-16) and an item that assessed suicidal ideation in the last year. Odds ratios (<i>OR</i>) with 95% confidence intervals (<i>95% CI</i>), crude and adjusted, were calculated. The study included 334 participants aged 13-17 years (<i>M</i> = 15.19, <i>SD</i> = 1.10); 51.29% were women. The percentages of affirmative responses for the items of the PQ-16 were observed between 21.26% and 60.18%, and that of suicidal ideation was 28.74%. Suicidal ideation was associated with some prodromal symptoms of psychosis, particularly auditory hallucinations (<i>OR</i> = 3.48, <i>95% CI</i> 2.81-11.05), avolition (<i>OR</i> = 3.29, <i>95% CI</i> 1.63-6.66), paranoia (<i>OR</i> = 2.93, <i>95% CI</i> 1.52-5.65), perceptual abnormalities (<i>OR</i> = 2. 87, <i>95% CI</i> 1.30-6.32) and excessive social anxiety (<i>OR</i> = 2.43, <i>95% CI</i> 1.24-4.72). In conclusion, there is a significant association between auditory hallucinations, paranoia, perceptual abnormalities, avolition, excessive social anxiety and the presence of suicidal ideation during the most recent year. Future studies should consider more representative samples and longitudinal designs.