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Bitta M, Thungana Y, Kim HH, Denckla CA, Ametaj A, Yared M, Kwagala C, Ongeri L, Stroud RE, Kwobah E, Koenen KC, Kariuki S, Zingela Z, Akena D, Newton C, Atwoli L, Teferra S, Stein DJ, Gelaye B. Cross-country variations in the reporting of psychotic symptoms among sub-Saharan African adults: A psychometric evaluation of the Psychosis Screening Questionnaire. J Affect Disord 2022; 304:85-92. [PMID: 35183621 PMCID: PMC9036658 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.02.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Self-reporting of psychotic symptoms varies significantly between cultures and ethnic groups. Yet, limited validated screening instruments are available to capture such differences in the African continent. METHODOLOGY Among 9,059 individuals participating as controls in a multi-country case-control study of the genetic causes of psychosis, we evaluated the psychometric properties of the Psychosis Screening Questionnaire (PSQ). We applied multi-group confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory to assess item parameters. RESULTS The overall positive endorsement of at least one item assessing psychotic symptoms on the PSQ was 9.7%, with variability among countries (Uganda 13.7%, South Africa 11%, Kenya 10.2%, and Ethiopia 2.8%). A unidimensional model demonstrated good fit for the PSQ (root mean square error of approximation = 0.009; comparative fit index = 0.997; and Tucker-Lewis Index = 0.995). Hypomania had the weakest association with single latent factor (standardized factor loading 0.62). Sequential multi-group confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that PSQ items were measured in equivalent ways across the four countries. PSQ items gave more information at higher levels of psychosis, with hypomania giving the least discriminating information. LIMITATIONS Participants were recruited from general medical facilities, so findings may not be generalizable to the general population. CONCLUSION The PSQ demonstrated a unidimensional factor structure in these samples. Items were measured equivalently across all study settings, suggesting that differences in prevalence of psychotic symptoms between countries were less likely to represent measurement artifact. The PSQ is more reliable in screening for psychosis in individuals with higher degrees of psychotic experiences-hypomania excluded-and might decrease the false-positive rate from mild nonspecific psychotic experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Bitta
- Clinical Research-Neurosciences, KEMRI/Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kilifi, Kenya; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Yanga Thungana
- Department of Psychiatry, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, South Africa
| | - Hannah H Kim
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christy A Denckla
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Amantia Ametaj
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mahlet Yared
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Claire Kwagala
- Department of Psychiatry, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Linnet Ongeri
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Rocky E Stroud
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Edith Kwobah
- Department of Mental Health, Moi teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Karestan C Koenen
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Symon Kariuki
- Clinical Research-Neurosciences, KEMRI/Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Zukiswa Zingela
- Department of Psychiatry, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, South Africa
| | - Dickens Akena
- Department of Psychiatry, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Charles Newton
- Clinical Research-Neurosciences, KEMRI/Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kilifi, Kenya; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Lukoye Atwoli
- Department of Mental Health, Moi teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret, Kenya; Medical College East Africa, The Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Solomon Teferra
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Dan J Stein
- SA MRC Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental Disorders, Dept of Psychiatry & Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Bizu Gelaye
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; The Chester M. Pierce, MD Division of Global Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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