Open AccessPrediction of prodromal symptoms and schizophrenia-spectrum personality disorder traits by positive and negative schizotypy: A 3-year prospective study
Author(s) -
Anna Racioppi,
Tamara Sheinbaum,
Georgina M. Gross,
Sergi Ballespí,
Thomas R. Kwapil,
Neus BarrantesVidal
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0207150
Subject(s) - schizotypy , psychology , psychopathology , schizotypal personality disorder , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , psychosis , clinical psychology , personality , anhedonia , schizophrenia spectrum , big five personality traits , psychiatry , longitudinal study , developmental psychology , medicine , social psychology , pathology
The present study extends previous cross-sectional findings by examining the predictive validity of positive and negative schizotypy in a young adult sample at a three-year follow-up. Schizotypy and schizophrenia share a comparable multidimensional structure with positive and negative dimensions being the most strongly supported factors. Previous cross-sectional and longitudinal studies employing the psychometric high-risk strategy indicated that schizotypy is a useful method for identifying risk and resilience factors for the development of schizophrenia-spectrum psychopathology. In the present study, 103 participants (77% of 134 candidate participants) were reassessed at a three-year follow-up. As hypothesized, positive schizotypy predicted psychotic-like symptoms, depression, low self-esteem, and general psychopathology. Negative schizotypy predicted emotional disturbances, schizoid personality traits, and mental health treatment during the past year. As expected, both schizotypy dimensions predicted schizotypal, paranoid, and avoidant personality traits, and impaired functioning. These longitudinal findings provide additional evidence supporting the multidimensional model of schizotypy as a valid framework for studying etiological mechanisms and trajectories of psychosis.