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Does a latent class underlie schizotypal personality disorder? Implications for schizophrenia. J Abnorm Psychol 2013 May;122(2):475-91

Date

05/30/2013

Pubmed ID

23713503

DOI

10.1037/a0032713

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-84878498154 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   26 Citations

Abstract

Despite growing enthusiasm for dimensional models of personality pathology, the taxonic versus dimensional status of schizotypal personality disorder (PD) remains a point of contention in modern psychiatry. The current study aimed to determine empirically the latent structure of schizotypal PD. We examined the latent structure of schizotypal PD in the Psychiatric Morbidity Survey in Great Britain and the second wave of the U.S.-based National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) survey. We analyzed composite indicators created from participant responses using the mean above minus mean below a cut (MAMBAC), Maximum Covariance (MAXCOV), and latent mode factor analysis (L-Mode) taxometric procedures. We also analyzed item-level responses using two latent variable mixture models--latent class analysis and latent class factor analysis. Taxometric and latent variable mixture analyses supported a dimensional, rather than taxonic, structure in both epidemiological samples. The dimensional model better predicted psychosis, intellectual functioning, disability, and treatment seeking than the categorical model based on DSM-IV diagnosis. People meeting criteria for schizotypal PD appear to exist on a spectrum of severity with the rest of the population. The possible dimensionality of schizotypal PD adds to growing support for a dimensional structure of PDs including other Cluster A disorders.

Author List

Ahmed AO, Green BA, Goodrum NM, Doane NJ, Birgenheir D, Buckley PF

Author

Denis Birgenheir PhD Assistant Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin




MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Analysis of Variance
Empirical Research
Factor Analysis, Statistical
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Models, Psychological
Schizophrenia
Schizotypal Personality Disorder
United Kingdom
United States
Young Adult