Úrsula Villazón-García

Validation of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire—Brief Form in adolescents

The main objective of the study was to validate the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief (SPQ-B) in a sample of non-clinical adolescents. In addition, the schizotypal personality structure and differences in the dimensions of schizotypy according to gender and age are analyzed. The sample comprises 1683 students, 818 males (48.6%), with a mean age of 15.9 years (SD=1.2). The results showed that the SPQ-B had adequate psychometric properties. Internal consistency of the subscales and total score ranged from 0.61 to 0.81. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the three-factor model (positive, negative, and disorganized) and the four-factor model (positive, paranoid, negative, and disorganized) fit reasonably well in comparison to the remaining models. With regard to gender and age, statistically significant differences were found due to age but not to gender. In line with previous literature, the results confirmed the multi-factor structure of the schizotypal personality in non-clinical adolescent populations. Future studies could use the SPQ-B as a screening self-report of rapid and efficient application for the detection of adolescents vulnerable to the development of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders in the general population, in genetically high-risk samples and in clinical studies.

Schizotypal traits, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and social functioning in adolescents

The relationship between self-reported social functioning, schizotypal traits, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) was studied in a sample of 508 adolescents, of which 49.8% were male adolescents, with a mean age of 14.9 (SD, 1.6). The Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief, Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory and Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale was administered. The results showed that schizotypal personality in adolescents consists of 4 factors (Interpersonal, Disorganized, Paranoia and Magical Ideation) which are associated with OCS in nonclinical populations. The canonical correlation analysis showed that schizotypal traits and OCS shared 18% of the variance. Social functioning was negatively related to schizotypal personality traits; however, no relationship was found between social functioning and OCS. The data highlight the overlap between schizotypal traits and OCS, as well as the deficits in self-reported social functioning in schizotypal subjects. Future studies should focus on the link between these 2 constructs and study in depth the role that social functioning may be playing.

Psychometric Properties of the Revised Physical and Social Anhedonia Scales in Non-Clinical Young Adults

Anhedonia, a central dimension within the schizotypy construct, has been considered to be a promising vulnerability marker for schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. The Revised Physical Anhedonia Scale (RPhA) and Revised Social Anhedonia Scale (RSAS) are two self-reports widely used in the assessment of anhedonia; however, they psychometric characteristics have been scarcely investigated in Spanish population. The objective of the current work was to study the psychometric properties of the Revised Physical and Social Anhedonia Scales in non-clinical young adults. The sample was composed of 728 college students with a mean age of 20.1 years (SD = 2.5). The data indicated that the scales showed adequate psychometric characteristics. The Cronbach alpha was 0.95 (RSAS) and 0.92 (RPhA) respectively. The confirmatory factor analysis carried out on the matrix of tetrachoric correlations showed that both scales presented an essentially unidimensional solution. The Revised Physical and Social Anhedonia Scales seem to be adequate for psychosis-risk assessment in non-clinical populations. Future research should further investigate the construct validity in other populations and cultures as well as study its relation to emotional aspects and cognitive endophenotypes.

PW01-171 - Coping strategies in adolescents with psychotic-like experiences

Coping strategies have been defined as the cognitive-behavioral efforts in continuous change made by a subject in order to manage internal and/or external demands which exceed his/her personal resources (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). Said coping strategies have been extensively investigated in individuals with symptoms of psychosis-proneness. Objectives The main objective of the present study was to compare the coping strategies used by adolescents with and without subclinical psychotic symptoms. Method The sample was composed of 1,713 Spanish adolescents, 881 (51.4%) females, with a mean age of 14.7 years (SD = 1.7). Results The results showed that the adolescents with subclinical psychotic symptoms used Avoidance-type coping strategies more frequently and Positive-type coping strategies less frequently in comparison to the control group. Conclusions These findings indicate a pattern of deficit in the strategies used to cope with stress similar to that of patients with schizophrenia, which is very interesting with a view to establishing lines of intervention within early detection and treatment programs for high-risk individuals aimed at modifying these patterns of deficit in coping with environmental stimuli in these populations.

P02-283 - Psychotic-like experiences, emotional and behavioral problems in nonclinical adolescents

Approximately 5 % of adolescents present psychotic symptoms which are not necessarily associated with a psychopathological alteration and that are known as subclinical psychotic-like experiences. Said symptoms have been found to be closely linked to the presence of affective psychopathology, such as high levels of anxiety, stress, dysphoria or depression in this population. Objectives The main objective of this work was to compare the emotional and behavioral problems reported by adolescents with and without psychotic-like symptoms. Method The sample was composed of 1,713 non-clinical adolescents with a mean age of 14.7 years (SD = 1.7), of which 832 (48.6 %) were males. Results The results showed that the participants with psychotic-like symptoms reported a higher number of emotional and behavioral problems compared to the participants who did not inform of said experiences. Conclusions The findings converge with data from previous studies of patients with schizophrenia as well as in schizophrenia-prone individuals, offering support to the dimensional models of psychosis, and have clear implications with a view to establishing primary prevention strategies for these high-risk individuals.