Thoughts falling apart: disorganized schizotypy specifically predicts both psychotic- and stress-reactivity in daily life

Abstract

Schizotypy, a multidimensional personality construct with disorganization at its core, predicts future psychosis risk. Moreover, heightened stress-reactivity is associated with vulnerability to psychosis. It has been found that positive and negative schizotypal traits predict distress-induced psychotic-like experiences (PLE-reactivity) in everyday life. However, these findings require further investigation within individuals since the association of disorganization with stress- and PLE-reactivity in daily life was not assessed in previous studies. We conducted an experience sampling study where participants repeatedly reported their PLEs, perceived distress (pleasantness of a recent significant event), and exposure to stressors (e.g., negative changes in salary, housing, health, and relationships). Schizotypal traits were assessed with the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale - Brief (MSS-B). We obtained 3304 observations from 104 participants from the general population. Multilevel models were used to examine the interaction of schizotypal traits and stressor exposure in predicting PLEs and perceived distress. Our results indicated that individuals with higher disorganized (but not positive or negative) schizotypy experienced more intense distress-related PLEs in daily life. Moreover, individuals with higher disorganization experienced stressor exposure as more unpleasant. These findings mean that disorganization but not positive or negative schizotypy is a specific determinant of stress-related psychosis-like experiences and stress-appraisal in everyday life. Our results also confirm the MSS-B's ecological validity, which can be a valuable discovery for the prevention of psychotic disorders.