Sergi Ballespí

Positive and negative schizotypy are associated with prodromal and schizophrenia- spectrum symptoms

The present study examined the validity of psychometrically assessed positive and negative schizotypy in a study of 214 Spanish young adults using interview and questionnaire measures of impairment and psychopathology. Schizotypy provides a useful construct for understanding the etiology and development of schizophrenia and related disorders. Recent interview, laboratory, and experience sampling studies have supported the validity of psychometrically assessed positive and negative symptom dimensions. The present study expands on previous findings by examining the validity of these dimensions in a Spanish sample and employing a widely used interview measure of the schizophrenia prodrome. As hypothesized, the positive schizotypy dimension predicted CAARMS ultra high-risk or psychosis threshold status, and both dimensions uniquely predicted the presence of schizophrenia-spectrum personality disorders. Furthermore, positive schizotypy was associated with psychotic-like, paranoid, schizotypal, and mood symptoms, whereas negative schizotypy was associated with interview ratings of negative and schizoid symptoms. The schizotypy dimensions were also distinguished by their associations with self and other schemas. Positive schizotypy was associated with increased negative self and other schemas, whereas negative schizotypy was associated with decreased positive self and other schemas. The findings provide further construct validation of positive and negative schizotypy and support these dimensions as universal constructs.

Parental reports of somatic symptoms in preschool children: prevalence and associations in a Spanish sample.

OBJECTIVE To document prevalence and associations of somatic symptoms in Spanish preschool children. METHOD Subjects were 3- to 5-year-olds attending nurseries (8 urban, 30 rural). Parental questionnaires (response rate 77%) were used to inquire about somatic symptoms in the child in the 2 weeks prior to assessment, about preschool absence and pediatric help-seeking, chronic family health problems, and recent stressful life events for the child. Parents completed questionnaires on child psychopathology (Early Childhood Inventory 4) and their own mental health (General Health Questionnaire). Children who were reported as complaining of symptoms frequently (four or more times) were compared to noncomplaining children. RESULTS Parents reported that 452 of the 807 (56%) children complained of somatic symptoms at least once, significantly more so in urban than in rural areas. Frequent somatic complaints were reported for 165 of the 807 (20%) (abdominal pains 7.9%, tiredness 5.7%, leg pains 4%, headaches 2%, dizziness 0.4%). There were significant associations of frequent symptom reporting with days off preschool and pediatric clinic attendance, with emotional and behavioral symptoms in children, mental distress in parents, and urban abode. CONCLUSIONS Somatic symptoms are common in preschool children. Results point to family influences.

Feeding problems in nursery children: prevalence and psychosocial factors.

Aim: In this study we analyze the prevalence of feeding problems in a sample of nursery children and examine the environmental and psychopathological factors related to such problems. Methods: We used the Early Childhood Inventory—Parents Checklist to assess 851 Spanish children aged between 3 and 6 years from both urban and rural samples. This screens emotional and behavioural problems and is based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders‐IV. We collected sociodemographic data and information about life events and the psychopathology of the childrens parents (General Health Questionnaire‐28). Results: Our results showed that the prevalence of feeding problems was 4.8% and that there were no differences between gender. Sample subtype, socioeconomic level and family characteristics were not linked to feeding problems. Children with feeding problems had significantly more symptoms of psychological problems and somatic complaints and had experienced more life events in the previous 12 months. The psychopathology of the mother, especially in terms of anxiety problems, increased the risk of feeding problems in children.

Parents and teachers reports of DSM-IV psychopathological symptoms in preschool children : Differences between urban-rural spanish areas

BackgroundThis study used DSM-IV criteria to analyse reports from teachers and parents and to compare behavioural and emotional symptoms in Spanish preschool children from both urban and rural populations.MethodThe field survey was conducted in two geographical areas in Catalonia (Spain). A sample of 1104 children (56.67% boys and 43.32% girls) aged 3–6 years participated in this study: 697 were from urban areas and 408 from rural ones. The Early Childhood Inventory—teachers’ and parents’ versions (ECI-4) [Gadow KD, Sprafkin J (1997)—was used as the screening instrument.ResultsThe teachers’ and parents’ reports assigned 32.7 and 46.7%, respectively, to one or more ECI-4 categories. Significant differences between sexes were found in teachers’ reports. The whole disorders were significantly more prevalent in the urban sample than in the rural one (30.6 vs. 20.3%). The most prevalent disorders in both areas were Anxiety Disorders and Behavioural Problems, and the least prevalent were Mood Disorders and Autistic Disorders.ConclusionsThe findings indicate that there are some differences in the prevalence rates of preschool psychopathological disorders between rural and urban Spanish areas.

Attachment style predicts affect, cognitive appraisals, and social functioning in daily life

The way in which attachment styles are expressed in the moment as individuals navigate their real-life settings has remained an area largely untapped by attachment research. The present study examined how adult attachment styles are expressed in daily life using experience sampling methodology (ESM) in a sample of 206 Spanish young adults. Participants were administered the Attachment Style Interview (ASI) and received personal digital assistants that signaled them randomly eight times per day for 1 week to complete questionnaires about their current experiences and social context. As hypothesized, participants’ momentary affective states, cognitive appraisals, and social functioning varied in meaningful ways as a function of their attachment style. Individuals with an anxious attachment, as compared with securely attached individuals, endorsed experiences that were congruent with hyperactivating tendencies, such as higher negative affect, stress, and perceived social rejection. By contrast, individuals with an avoidant attachment, relative to individuals with a secure attachment, endorsed experiences that were consistent with deactivating tendencies, such as decreased positive states and a decreased desire to be with others when alone. Furthermore, the expression of attachment styles in social contexts was shown to be dependent upon the subjective appraisal of the closeness of social contacts, and not merely upon the presence of social interactions. The findings support the ecological validity of the ASI and the person-by-situation character of attachment theory. Moreover, they highlight the utility of ESM for investigating how the predictions derived from attachment theory play out in the natural flow of real life.

Parent and Teacher Ratings of Temperamental Disposition to Social Anxiety: The BIS 3–6

Behavioral inhibition (BI) discourages children from interacting, predisposing them to isolation, social anxiety, and depression. We have created the Behavioral Inhibition Scale for Children Aged 3 to 6 (BIS 3–6) to detect this trait early. Parents and teachers of 365 preschoolers completed different versions of the BIS 3–6 and provided measures of psychopathology. Both versions are structured into 1 factor that explains over 40% of total variability and displays excellent internal consistency (α = .95). The moderate correlations with measures of internalizing symptoms (r = .50) and nonexistent correlations with externalizing measures suggest adequate convergent and discriminant validity. A new scoring system is proposed.

The Interaction between Childhood Bullying and the FKBP5 Gene on Psychotic-Like Experiences and Stress Reactivity in Real Life

Aim The present study employed Experience Sampling Methodology to examine whether the interaction between childhood bullying and FKBP5 variability (i) is associated with the expression of psychotic-like experiences, paranoia, and negative affect, and (ii) moderates psychotic-like, paranoid, and affective reactivity to different forms of momentary stress (situational and social) in daily life. Methods A total of 206 nonclinical young adults were interviewed for bullying with the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse and were prompted randomly eight times daily for one week to complete assessments of their current experiences, affect, and stress appraisals. Participants were genotyped for three FKBP5 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs3800373, rs9296158, and rs1360780) that have been linked to hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis reactivity. Multilevel analyses were conducted to examine the effect of the interaction between childhood bullying and the FKBP5 haplotype derived from these three SNPs. Results The interaction between bullying and the FKBP5 haplotype was associated with positive, but not negative, psychotic-like experiences, paranoia, and negative affect. The bullying x FKBP5 interaction also moderated the association of a social stress appraisal (specifically, being alone because people do not want to be with you) with psychotic-like experiences and negative affect in daily life. Simple slopes analyses indicated that, in all cases, the associations were significantly increased by exposure to bullying in participants with the risk haplotype, but not for those with the non-risk haplotype. Discussion The present study provides the first evidence of the interplay between childhood bullying and FKBP5 variability in the real-world expression of psychosis proneness and social stress reactivity. The findings underscore the importance of investigating how gene-environment interactions are involved in mechanistic pathways to the extended psychosis phenotype and lend further support to the increasing relevance given to socially defeating appraisals in the experience of reality distortion.

Interaction between FKBP5 gene and childhood trauma on psychosis, depression and anxiety symptoms in a non-clinical sample

BACKGROUND Childhood trauma has been associated with a heightened risk for presenting clinical and non-clinical psychopathology in adulthood. Genes related with the stress response, such as the FK506 binding protein 51 (FKBP5), are plausible candidates moderating the effects of childhood trauma on the emergence of such symptoms later on. The present study aimed to explore the moderating role of FKBP5 genetic variability on the association of different types of childhood trauma with subclinical psychosis, depression and anxiety in a non-clinical sample. METHODS Schizotypy, psychotic-like experiences, depression and anxiety symptoms and childhood trauma were assessed in 808 young adults. Two FKBP5 haplotypic blocks were detected: block 1 (rs3800373 - rs9296158 - rs1360780) and block 2 (rs9470080 - rs4713916). Subjects were classified in two groups according to whether they carried or not the risk haplotype previously described in the literature (block 1: CAT and block 2: TA). Linear regression analyses were used to study (i) the main effects of childhood trauma and FKBP5 haplotype blocks and (ii) their interaction effects on the mentioned forms of psychopathology. RESULTS All childhood trauma scales, except sexual abuse, were associated with schizotypy, psychotic-like experiences, depression and anxiety symptoms. None of the analysed symptoms was associated with the main effects of FKBP5 genetic variability. However an interaction effect between block 1 and physical abuse was observed on anxiety, with lower scores in CAT carriers. This effect was driven by SNP 1 and 2. Moreover, an interaction effect between block 2 and physical abuse was identified on the variables tapping depressive and anxiety symptoms. Specifically, non-TA carrier subjects who were exposed to physical abuse were found to be at higher risk for depressive and anxiety symptoms. These effects were driven by SNP 5. No interaction effect was observed for the other variables. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that exposure to childhood physical abuse may increase the risk for sub-clinical depressive and anxiety symptoms depending on FKBP5 genetic variability. Further research is needed to better elucidate the role of FKBP5 on mental health in clinical and non-clinical cohorts.

Interview Investigation of Insecure Attachment Styles as Mediators between Poor Childhood Care and Schizophrenia-Spectrum Phenomenology.

Background Insecure attachment styles have received theoretical attention and some initial empirical support as mediators between childhood adverse experiences and psychotic phenomena; however, further specificity needs investigating. The present interview study aimed to examine (i) whether two forms of poor childhood care, namely parental antipathy and role reversal, were associated with subclinical positive and negative symptoms and schizophrenia-spectrum personality disorder (PD) traits, and (ii) whether such associations were mediated by specific insecure attachment styles. Method A total of 214 nonclinical young adults were interviewed for subclinical symptoms (Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States), schizophrenia-spectrum PDs (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Disorders), poor childhood care (Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse Interview), and attachment style (Attachment Style Interview). Participants also completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II and all the analyses were conducted partialling out the effects of depressive symptoms. Results Both parental antipathy and role reversal were associated with subclinical positive symptoms and with paranoid and schizotypal PD traits. Role reversal was also associated with subclinical negative symptoms. Angry-dismissive attachment mediated associations between antipathy and subclinical positive symptoms and both angry-dismissive and enmeshed attachment mediated associations of antipathy with paranoid and schizotypal PD traits. Enmeshed attachment mediated associations of role reversal with paranoid and schizotypal PD traits. Conclusions Attachment theory can inform lifespan models of how adverse developmental environments may increase the risk for psychosis. Insecure attachment provides a promising mechanism for understanding the development of schizophrenia-spectrum phenomenology and may offer a useful target for prophylactic intervention.

Beyond diagnosis: Mentalization and mental health from a transdiagnostic point of view in adolescents from non-clinical population

An increasing volume of evidence suggests that mentalization (MZ) can be an important factor in the transition from mental health to mental illness and vice versa. However, most studies are focused on the role of MZ in specific disorders. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between MZ and mental health as a trans-diagnostic process. A sample of 172 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years old (M = 14.6, SD = 1.7; 56.4% of girls) was assessed on measures of MZ, psychopathology and psychological functioning from a multimethod and multi-informant perspective. Contrary to predictions, MZ was not associated with general psychopathology and comorbidity, even when explored from a broad, trans-diagnostic perspective. However, we observed a robust association linking MZ to functioning and well-being across many dimensions, involving social, role and several psychological indicators of adjustment and mental health. These results suggest that MZ may contribute to mental health beyond symptoms, not so much associated with psychopathology, but rather resilience and well-being.