Evidence that three dimensions of psychosis have a distribution in the general population.
BACKGROUND
The aims of the study were: first to examine, using clinical symptoms of patients as a template, whether the correlated but independent dimensions of positive, negative and depressive symptoms that have been identified in clinical psychosis, also have a distribution as non-clinical experiences in the general population; and second, to establish to what degree population variation in experience of positive and negative features of psychosis is actually independent of experience of depression.


METHODS
In a representative population sample of 932 young men, we measured experiences of positive, negative and depressive features of psychosis, using a 40-item self-report instrument. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to compare the fit of hypothesized one-, two- and three-factor solutions.


RESULTS
A three-factor model of separate depressive, positive and negative dimensions provided a better fit to the data than either a two-factor or unidimensional model. All three dimensions were correlated with each other, but also showed good discriminant validity in relation to established scales, confirming their relative independence.


CONCLUSIONS
The data suggest that the correlated dimensions of clinical psychosis also have a distribution in the general population, and that depressive symptoms may form an integral part of psychosis-like experiences in the general population.
Stefanis
N C
NC
University Mental Health Research Institute (UMHRI), Athens, Greece.
Hanssen
M
M
Smirnis
N K
NK
Avramopoulos
D A
DA
Evdokimidis
I K
IK
Stefanis
C N
CN
Verdoux
H
H
Van Os
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003702:Delusions / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006115:Greece; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012569:Schizotypal Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology