1
|
Fekih-Romdhane F, Hakiri A, Stambouli M, Cherif W, Away R, Amri A, Cheour M, Hallit S. Schizotypal traits in a large sample of high-school and university students from Tunisia: correlates and measurement invariance of the arabic schizotypal personality questionnaire across age and sex. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:447. [PMID: 37340441 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-04942-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The main goal of the present study was to examine the characteristics of schizotypal traits and their correlations with genetic (i.e., family history of mental illness), demographic (i.e., age, sex), environmental (e.g., income, urbanicity, tobacco/alcohol/cannabis use), and psychological (i.e., personal history of mental illness other than psychosis) factors in Tunisian high-school and university students. Our secondary goal was to contribute the literature by examining the factor structure and factorial invariance of the Arabic Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) across sex and age (adolescents [12-18 years] vs. young adults [18-35 years]) groups. METHOD This was a cross-sectional study involving 3166 students: 1160 (36.6%) high-school students (53.0% females, aged 14.9 ± 1.8); and 2006 (63.4%) university students (63.9% females, aged 21.8 ± 2.3). All students were asked to complete a paper-and-pencil self-administered questionnaire containing sociodemographic characteristics as well as the Arabic version of the SPQ. RESULTS The total sample yielded total SPQ scores of 24.1 ± 16.6 out of 74. The SPQ yielded good composite reliability as attested by McDonald's omega values ranging from .68 to .80 for all nine subscales. Confirmatory Factor Analysis indicated that fit of the 9-factor model of SPQ scores was acceptable. This model is invariant (at the configural, metric and structural levels) across sex and age. Except for "Odd or eccentric behavior", all schizotypy features were significantly higher among female students compared to males. Multivariable analyses showed that female sex, being a university student, lowest family incomes, tobacco use, and having a personal history of psychiatric illness were significantly associated with higher positive, negative and disorganized schizotypy subscales scores. CONCLUSION Future research still needs to confirm our findings and investigate the contribution of the identified factors in the development of clinical psychosis. We can also conclude that the Arabic SPQ is appropriate for measuring and comparing schizotypy across age and sex in clinical and research settings. These findings are highly relevant and essential for ensuring the clinical utility and applicability of the SPQ in cross-cultural research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Feten Fekih-Romdhane
- The Tunisian Center of Early Intervention in Psychosis, Department of Psychiatry "Ibn Omrane", Razi Hospital, 2010, Manouba, Tunisia.
- Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia.
| | - Abir Hakiri
- Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Manel Stambouli
- Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Wissal Cherif
- The Tunisian Center of Early Intervention in Psychosis, Department of Psychiatry "Ibn Omrane", Razi Hospital, 2010, Manouba, Tunisia
- Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Rami Away
- Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Amani Amri
- Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Majda Cheour
- The Tunisian Center of Early Intervention in Psychosis, Department of Psychiatry "Ibn Omrane", Razi Hospital, 2010, Manouba, Tunisia
- Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Souheil Hallit
- School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, P.O. Box 446, Jounieh, Lebanon.
- Psychology Department, College of Humanities, Effat University, Jeddah, 21478, Saudi Arabia.
- Applied Science Research Center, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan.
- Research Department, Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross, Jal Eddib, Lebanon.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Fekih-Romdhane F, Pandi-Perumal SR, Conus P, Krebs MO, Cheour M, Seeman MV, Jahrami HA. Prevalence and risk factors of self-reported psychotic experiences among high school and college students: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2022; 146:492-514. [PMID: 36000793 DOI: 10.1111/acps.13494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescents are at high risk of incident psychopathology. Fleeting psychotic experiences (PEs) that emerge in young people in response to stress may be warning signs that are missed by research that fails to study stressed populations, such as late high school and college/university students. Our aim in this systematic review was to conduct a meta-analysis that estimates prevalence rates of PEs in students, and to assess whether these rates differ by gender, age, culture, and COVID-19 exposure. METHOD We searched nine electronic databases, from their inception until January 31, 2022 for relevant studies. We pooled the estimates using the DerSimonian-Laird technique and random-effects meta-analysis. Our main outcome was the prevalence of self-reported PEs in high school and college/university students. We subsequently analyzed our data by age, gender, population, country, culture, evaluation tool, and COVID-19 exposure. RESULTS Out of 486 studies retrieved, a total of 59 independent studies met inclusion criteria reporting 210' 024 students from 21 different countries. Nearly one in four students (23.31%; 95% CI 18.41%-29.05%), reported having experienced PEs (heterogeneity [Q = 22,698.23 (62), p = 0.001] τ2 = 1.4418 [1.0415-2.1391], τ = 1.2007 [1.0205-1.4626], I2 = 99.7%, H = 19.13 [18.59-19.69]). The 95% prediction intervals were 04.01%-68.85%. Subgroup analyses showed that the pooled prevalence differed significantly by population, culture, and COVID-19 exposure. CONCLUSION This meta-analysis revealed high prevalence rates of self-reported PEs among teen and young adult students, which may have significance for mental health screening in school settings. An important realization is that PEs may have very different mental health meaning in different cultures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Feten Fekih-Romdhane
- Tunis El Manar University, Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia.,The Tunisian Center of Early Intervention is Psychiatry, Department of psychiatry "Ibn Omrane", Razi Hospital, Manouba, Tunisia
| | - Seithikurippu R Pandi-Perumal
- Somnogen Canada Inc., Toronto, Canada.,Saveetha Medical College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Philippe Conus
- Service of General Psychiatry, Treatment and Early Intervention in Psychosis Program (TIPP-Lausanne), Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marie-Odile Krebs
- Inserm, Laboratoire de Physiopathologie des maladies Psychiatriques, UMR_S1266 Institut de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences de Paris, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France.,Institut de Psychiatrie (CNRS GDR 3557), Paris, France.,Faculté de Médecine Paris Descartes, Service Hospitalo-Universitaire, Centre Hospitalier Sainte-Anne, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France
| | - Majda Cheour
- Tunis El Manar University, Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia.,The Tunisian Center of Early Intervention is Psychiatry, Department of psychiatry "Ibn Omrane", Razi Hospital, Manouba, Tunisia
| | - Mary V Seeman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Haitham A Jahrami
- Psychiatric Hospital, Ministry of Health, Manama, Bahrain.,Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Bahrain
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Fekih-Romdhane F, Away R, Jahrami H, Cheour M. Internet addiction is associated with psychological distress in highly schizotypal students. Early Interv Psychiatry 2022. [PMID: 36196053 DOI: 10.1111/eip.13362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is some limited evidence of an association between technology addictions and emergence of pre-psychotic symptoms, high psychoticism, psychotic like experiences and high schizotypy among young non-clinical adults. These addictions and their subsequent distress are likely to contribute to transition to psychosis in individuals at risk. We aimed to compare smartphone, Internet and Facebook addictions between low and high schizotypal individuals; and to explore the association between these addictions and distress in the high schizotypy group. METHODS From a pool of 700 students, the final sample consisted of 74 low schizotypal and 70 high schizotypal students. The Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire, the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale, the Internet Addiction Test, the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales. RESULTS Students of the high schizotypy group displayed significantly greater scores on smartphone (p < .001), Internet (p < .001) and Facebook (p = .001) addictions scales, as compared to those of the low schizotypy group. After controlling for potential confounders, Internet addiction predicted psychological distress in the high schizotypy group (R2 = 0.380, F(13,55) = 2.597, p < .001) and explained an additional 19.7% of variation in Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales total scores in the final model. CONCLUSION Although preliminary, our findings shed light on relatively new avenues for prevention and early intervention in psychosis. It is recommended to raise awareness about Internet addiction risks, particularly among vulnerable young adults; and to find ways to turn Internet into a protective rather than stressor factor, by utilizing it as a resource in the care pathway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Feten Fekih-Romdhane
- Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia.,The Tunisian Center of Early Intervention in Psychosis, Department of Psychiatry Ibn Omrane, Razi Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Rami Away
- Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Haitham Jahrami
- College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Bahrain.,Ministry of Health, Manama, Bahrain
| | - Majda Cheour
- Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia.,The Tunisian Center of Early Intervention in Psychosis, Department of Psychiatry Ibn Omrane, Razi Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Daimer S, Mihatsch LL, Neufeld SAS, Murray GK, Knolle F. Investigating the relationship of COVID-19 related stress and media consumption with schizotypy, depression, and anxiety in cross-sectional surveys repeated throughout the pandemic in Germany and the UK. eLife 2022; 11:75893. [PMID: 35781372 PMCID: PMC9252577 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Studies report a strong impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related stressors on the mental well-being of the general population. In this paper, we investigated whether COVID-19 related concerns and social adversity affected schizotypal traits, anxiety, and depression using structural equational modelling. In mediation analyses, we furthermore explored whether these associations were mediated by healthy (sleep and physical exercise) or unhealthy behaviours (drug and alcohol consumption, excessive media use). Methods: We assessed schizotypy, depression, and anxiety as well as healthy and unhealthy behaviours and a wide range of sociodemographic scores using online surveys from residents of Germany and the United Kingdom over 1 year during the COVID-19 pandemic. Four independent samples were collected (April/May 2020: N=781, September/October 2020: N=498, January/February 2021: N=544, May 2021: N=486). The degree of schizotypy was measured using the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ), anxiety, and depression symptoms were surveyed with the Symptom Checklist (SCL-27), and healthy and unhealthy behaviours were assessed with the Coronavirus Health Impact Survey (CRISIS). Structural equation models were used to consider the influence of COVID-19 related concerns and social adversity on depressive and anxiety-related symptoms and schizotypal traits in relation to certain healthy (sleep and exercise) and unhealthy behaviours (alcohol and drug consumption, excessive media use). Results: The results revealed that COVID-19 related life concerns were significantly associated with schizotypy in the September/October 2020 and May 2021 surveys, with anxiety in the September/October 2020, January/February 2021, and May 2021 surveys, and with depressive symptoms in all surveys. Social adversity significantly affected the expression of schizotypal traits and depressive and anxiety symptoms in all four surveys. Importantly, we found that excessive media consumption (>4 hr per day) fully mediated the relationship between COVID-19 related life concerns and schizotypal traits in the January/February 2021 survey. Furthermore, several of the surveys showed that excessive media consumption was associated with increased depressive and anxiety-related symptoms in people burdened by COVID-19 related life. Conclusions: The ongoing uncertainties of the pandemic and the restrictions on social life have a strong impact on mental well-being and especially the expression of schizotypal traits. The negative impact is further boosted by excessive media consumption, which is especially critical for people with high schizotypal traits. Funding: FK received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 (Grant number 754,462). SN received funding from the Cundill Centre for Child and Youth Depression at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada and the Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund from the University of Cambridge. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, and the measures different governments took to contain it, harmed many people’s mental well-being. The restrictions, combined with pandemic-related uncertainty, caused many individuals to experience increased stress, depression, and anxiety. Many people turned to unhealthy behaviours to cope, including consuming more alcohol or drugs, using media excessively, developing poor sleeping habits, or reducing the amount of exercise they did. Stress, drugs, poor sleep, and uncertainty can increase an individual’s risk of developing psychotic symptoms, including delusions, hallucinations, or difficulty thinking clearly. These symptoms may be temporary or part of a more lasting condition, like schizophrenia. The risk of developing these symptoms increases in people with ‘schizotypal traits’, such as a lack of close relationships, paranoia, or unusual or implausible beliefs. These individuals may be especially vulnerable to the harmful mental health effects of the pandemic. Daimer et al. demonstrated that people who were more worried about their life stability or financial situation during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic had worse mental well-being than those who felt secure. In the experiments, volunteers completed a series of online mental health questionnaires at four different time points during the pandemic. People who reported feeling lonely, having negative thoughts, or experiencing fewer positive social interactions had more symptoms of mental illness. People who experienced more life disruptions also reported more anxiety or depression symptoms and more schizotypal traits. Daily consumption of at least four hours of digital media exacerbated negative mental health symptoms, and people with more pandemic-related life concerns also spent more time on digital media Daimer et al. suggest that increased media consumption among people with pandemic-related hardships may have increased mental health symptoms and schizotypal traits in these individuals. The survey results suggest that maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including meaningful relationships, is essential to staying mentally healthy during extreme situations like a global pandemic. Protective interventions – such as strengthening social support networks, providing mental health education, or increasing mental healthcare provisions – are essential to prevent poor mental health outcomes during future crises.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Daimer
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Lorenz L Mihatsch
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.,Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Sharon A S Neufeld
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Graham K Murray
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Franziska Knolle
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Toh WL, Sumner PJ, Meyer D, Neill E, Phillipou A, Tan EJ, Van Rheenen TE, Rossell SL. Investigating predictors contributing to the expression of schizotypy during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Psychiatr Res 2022; 150:231-236. [PMID: 35398666 PMCID: PMC8976875 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.03.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused major disruptions to social and other forms of functioning, which may influence schizotypy expression. The current study aimed to explore possible distal and proximal predictors contributing to schizotypy in a sample of the Australian general population during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COvid-19 and you: mentaL heaLth in AusTralia now survEy (COLLATE) project is an online mental health study aimed at tracking key mental health indicators over the progression of the pandemic. Adults residing in Australia were invited to take part using non-discriminative snowball sampling. Demographic-clinical information was collected for 850 participants in either October 2020 or January 2021. To assess schizotypy facets, the Launay-Slade Hallucinations Scale-Extended (LSHS-E) and Peters Delusions Inventory (PDI-21) were used to measure hallucination and delusion proneness respectively. Generalised linear models (with gamma and negative binomial distributions) were employed. Age, negative emotions and loneliness significantly contributed to both hallucination and delusion proneness; gender, education and religiosity also significantly contributed to delusion proneness, in the final regression models. Our study corroborated the specific contribution of loneliness, amongst other factors, in the prediction of schizotypy facets. Tackling loneliness represents a public health challenge that needs to be urgently addressed, especially in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Lin Toh
- Centre for Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Philip J. Sumner
- Centre for Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Corresponding author. Centre for Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, PO Box 218, Hawthorn, VIC, 3122, Australia
| | - Denny Meyer
- Centre for Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Erica Neill
- Centre for Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Department of Mental Health, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Andrea Phillipou
- Centre for Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Department of Mental Health, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Department of Mental Health, Austin Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Eric J. Tan
- Centre for Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Department of Mental Health, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Tamsyn E. Van Rheenen
- Centre for Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Susan L. Rossell
- Centre for Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Department of Mental Health, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Fekih-Romdhane F, Amri A, Cheour M. Suicidal ideation, suicide literacy and stigma, disclosure expectations and attitudes toward help-seeking among university students: The impact of schizotypal personality traits. Early Interv Psychiatry 2022; 16:659-669. [PMID: 34477298 DOI: 10.1111/eip.13211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Similarly to patients with schizophrenia, non-clinical individuals with schizotypal traits have been reported to show an increased risk for suicide-related outcomes. We aimed to assess suicidal ideation, and to determine factors that may have associations with help-seeking attitudes in high schizotypal individuals as compared to low schizotypal individuals. METHOD We carried out a cross-sectional survey. The Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire, the attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help scale-short form, the disclosure expectations scale, the scale of suicide ideation, the stigma of suicide scale-short form, the literacy of suicide scale, and the depression anxiety stress scales were administered to 504 college students. A total of 51 students were classified in the high-schizotypy group, and 50 were classified in the low-schizotypy group. RESULTS High-schizotypal students experienced significantly more suicidal ideation, had greater literacy of suicide, had more glorification of suicide, had higher anticipated risks of disclosure and more negative help-seeking attitudes than low-schizotypal students. After controlling for sociodemographic (age, gender, income and tobacco use) and psychosocial variables (personal psychiatric history, family history of suicide, personal history of suicide attempt[s]), depression and suicide ideation), disclosure expectations had both a significant negative independent effect through anticipated risks, and a positive independent effect through anticipated benefits, on high-schizotypal students' help-seeking attitudes. CONCLUSION The apprehension and reluctance to seek help found in high-schizotypal students highlight an urgent need to further understand barriers to help-seeking among at-risk adolescents, and what may motivate them to reach out for support when they are more at-risk for suicide.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Feten Fekih-Romdhane
- Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia.,The Tunisian Center of Early Intervention in Psychosis, Department of Psychiatry "Ibn Omrane", Razi Hospital, Manouba, Tunisia
| | - Amani Amri
- Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Majda Cheour
- Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia.,The Tunisian Center of Early Intervention in Psychosis, Department of Psychiatry "Ibn Omrane", Razi Hospital, Manouba, Tunisia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Zhao G, Li S, Zhang Q, Guo X, Xie F, Yan S, Liu H, Chong Y, Ding Y, Li X. The relationship between schizotypal personality features and mind wandering among college students during COVID-19 pandemic: A moderator of depression. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:994082. [PMID: 36713899 PMCID: PMC9874124 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.994082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Although the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people's mental health has been well documented in many studies, the schizotypal personality features in the general population have not received sufficient attention. METHODS Study 1 is a longitudinal study tracking changes in schizotypal personality features among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 153 Chinese college students were assessed using the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. Study 2 explored the relationship between schizotypal personality features, mind wandering, and depression. A total of 557 college students completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Mind-Wandering Questionnaire during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS Study 1 results showed that the scores from later stages in the pandemic were significantly higher than those from the initial stages on each dimension of schizotypal personality, which means that the schizotypal personality features became more obvious during the COVID-19 pandemic. Study 2 results showed that there was a positive correlation between schizotypal personality features, depression, and mind wandering. DISCUSSION Depression played a moderating role in the relationship between schizotypal personality features and mind wandering. The schizotypal personality features of college students increase during COVID-19; it has a positive relationship with mind wandering; depression moderates the relationship. We discussed these findings and provided some suggestions about future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guojun Zhao
- School of Psychology, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China.,Academy of Plateau Science and Sustainability, Qinghai Normal University, Xining, China
| | - Shuangchen Li
- School of Psychology, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- School of Psychology, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Guo
- School of Psychology, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Fusen Xie
- School of Psychology, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Shuhong Yan
- School of Psychology, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Haijian Liu
- School of Education, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yuan Chong
- School of Tourism, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yuee Ding
- Mental Health Education Center, Gansu Health Vocational College, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xu Li
- Mental Health Education Center, Gansu Health Vocational College, Lanzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|