New York University May 30 2025 Prevailing theories about why young people experience psychotic breaks at a young age rely on individual factors like exposure to child abuse, school bullying, or drugs. But a new study from the NYU Silver School of Social Work suggests that broader social factors, such as racial inequality and experience with police violence, might contribute to the proportionately higher rates of psychosis seen among low-income young adults of color. The study, "Social Defeat