Comparisons of schizotypal traits across 12 countries: Results from the International Consortium for Schizotypy Research

Eduardo Fonseca-Pedrero; Raymond C K Chan; Martin Debbané; David Cicero; Lisa C Zhang; Colleen Brenner; Emma Barkus; Richard J Linscott; Thomas Kwapil; Neus Barrantes-Vidal; Alex Cohen; Adrian Raine; Michael T Compton; Erin B Tone; Julie Suhr; José Muñiz; Alicia Pérez de Albéniz; Axit Fumero; Stella Giakoumaki; Ioannis Tsaousis; Antonio Preti; Michael Chmielewski; Julien Laloyaux; Anwar Mechri; Mohamed Aymen Lahmar; Viviana Wuthrich; Frank Larøi; Johanna C Badcock; Assen Jablensky; Javier Ortuño-Sierra

doi:10.1016/j.schres.2018.03.021

Comparisons of schizotypal traits across 12 countries: Results from the International Consortium for Schizotypy Research

Schizophr Res. 2018 Sep:199:128-134. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.03.021. Epub 2018 Mar 19.

Authors

Eduardo Fonseca-Pedrero¹, Raymond C K Chan², Martin Debbané³, David Cicero⁴, Lisa C Zhang⁵, Colleen Brenner⁵, Emma Barkus⁶, Richard J Linscott⁷, Thomas Kwapil⁸, Neus Barrantes-Vidal⁹, Alex Cohen¹⁰, Adrian Raine¹¹, Michael T Compton¹², Erin B Tone¹³, Julie Suhr¹⁴, José Muñiz¹⁵, Alicia Pérez de Albéniz¹⁶, Axit Fumero¹⁷, Stella Giakoumaki¹⁸, Ioannis Tsaousis¹⁸, Antonio Preti¹⁹, Michael Chmielewski²⁰, Julien Laloyaux²¹, Anwar Mechri²², Mohamed Aymen Lahmar²², Viviana Wuthrich²³, Frank Larøi²⁴, Johanna C Badcock²⁵, Assen Jablensky²⁵, Javier Ortuño-Sierra¹⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Educational Sciences, University of La Rioja, Spain; Centro de Investigación en Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Oviedo, Spain. Electronic address: eduardo.fonseca@unirioja.es.
² Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijng, China.
³ Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, UK.
⁴ Department of Psychology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA.
⁵ Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Canada.
⁶ School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.
⁷ Department of Psychology, University of Otago, New Zealand.
⁸ Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, USA.
⁹ Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
¹⁰ Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, USA.
¹¹ Departments of Criminology, Psychiatry, and Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, USA.
¹² Department of Psychiatry, Lenox Hill Hospital, USA.
¹³ Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, USA.
¹⁴ Department of Psychology, Ohio University, USA.
¹⁵ Centro de Investigación en Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Oviedo, Spain; Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Spain.
¹⁶ Department of Educational Sciences, University of La Rioja, Spain.
¹⁷ Department of Psychology, University of La Laguna, Spain.
¹⁸ Department of Psychology, University of Crete, Rethymno, Crete, Greece.
¹⁹ Genneruxi Medical Center, Cagliari, Italy.
²⁰ Department of Psychology, Southern Methodist University, USA.
²¹ Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; NORMENT - Norwegian Center of Excellence for Mental Disorders Research, University of Oslo, Norway; Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
²² Psychiatry Department, University Hospital of Monastir Monastir, Tunisia.
²³ Macquarie Centre for Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.
²⁴ Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit, Cognitive Psychopathology Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
²⁵ Centre for Clinical Research in Neuropsychiatry, Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.

PMID: 29567403
DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.03.021

Abstract

Background: Schizotypal traits are expressions of underlying vulnerability to psychotic disorders which have a potential impact on mental health status, neurocognition, quality of life, and daily functioning. To date, little research has examined epidemiologic landscape of schizotypal traits at the cross-national level. Our aim was to study the expression of schizotypal traits by sex, age, and country in a combined sample gathered from 12 countries.

Methods: A total of 27,001 participants completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ). The mean age of participants was 22.12 (SD=6.28); 37.5% (n=10,126) were males.

Results: Schizotypal traits varied according to sex, age, and country. Females scored higher than males in the positive dimension, whereas males scored higher in the disorganization dimension. By age, a significant decrease in the positive schizotypal traits was observed. Epidemiological expression of schizotypal traits varied by country. Moreover, several interactions by sex, age, and country were found.

Conclusions: This pattern is similar to those found in patients with psychosis and psychotic-like experiences. These findings provide new insights and the opportunity to explore the phenotypic expression of schizotypal traits at cross-national level.

Keywords: Age; Cross-cultural; Psychosis; SPQ; Schizotypal traits; Schizotypy; Sex.

Publication types

Comparative Study
Multicenter Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Cross-Cultural Comparison
Female
Humans
Internationality
Male
Middle Aged
Schizotypal Personality Disorder / epidemiology*
Schizotypal Personality Disorder / psychology*
Sex Factors
Young Adult