Schizotypy and personality profiles of Cluster A in a group of schizophrenic patients and their siblings

Abstract

BackgroundSchizotypy, or the set of personality traits related to schizophrenia, is considered an endophenotypic manifestation that is more represented in first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia than in the general population. The assessment of schizotypy is primarily based on self-reports, and for this reason it presents several limitations. In order to assess schizotypy, this study proposes a diagnostic instrument based on clinical reports.MethodsA sample of 66 subjects, composed of 25 outpatients with schizophrenia, 18 siblings of these patients and 23 healthy controls, was subjected to the personality assessment test SWAP-200 by trained clinical interviewers. To test the hypothesis of the difference between the profiles of the Personality Disorders within the schizophrenia spectrum, a Multivariate Analysis of Variance and subsequent planned comparisons were conducted.ResultsPatients with schizophrenia scored higher than both their siblings and the controls on all SWAP-200 scales; their siblings, compared to the healthy controls, showed significant statistical differences, with higher mean scores for paranoid (F(1,63) = 7.02; p = 0.01), schizoid (F(1,63) = 6.56; p = 0.013) and schizotypal (F(1,63) = 6.47; p = 0.013) traits (PD T scores of Cluster A and Q-factor scores for the schizoid scale [F(1,63) = 6.47; p = 0.013]).ConclusionsConsistent with previous data, first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia scored higher on schizophrenia-related personality traits than a general population comparison sample. SWAP-200, as an alternative diagnostic instrument to self-report measures, is able to reveal the higher prevalence of schizotypal traits in siblings of patients with schizophrenia, suggesting its possible use as a complementary instrument for the assessment of schizophrenia.

Evaluación en esquizotipia: una revisión sistemática hacia los modelos clínicos y de personalidad

“…However, when trying to correlate them to cognitive or biological factors, the results vary depending on the tool used ( Deyo & Langton, 2019 ). Therefore, the evaluation of schizotypal traits should include selfreport measures, as a complement to interviews rated by clinical criteria ( Chan et al, 2019 ; Torti et al, 2013 ).…”

Ten-year stability of self-reported schizotypal personality features in patients with psychosis and their healthy siblings

“…The SPQ has shown to be an appropriate instrument for the evaluation of SPD features in patients' relatives and general population (Bergman et al, 2000;Cochrane et al, 2012;Mata et al, 2000;Siever and Davis, 2004;Torti et al, 2013). Moreover, the SPQ-B is a brief selfreport scale modeled on DSM-III-R criteria for SPD and its use in patient population is not exceptional (Rossi and Daneluzzo, 2002;Schurhoff et al, 2005;Vollema and Postma, 2002).…”

Psychopathology and personality factors in first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia

“…First-degree relatives of schizophrenic probands score higher on schizotypal, paranoid, and schizoid personality traits as compared to normal controls. [242526] These cluster A personality traits are characterized by social and interpersonal deficits, lack of close friends, and negative emotions such as suspiciousness toward others, magical thinking, and flattened affectivity. [7] This, in turn, could have led to higher scores on neuroticism and lower scores on agreeableness in the present study.…”