Does a latent class underlie schizotypal personality disorder? Implications for schizophrenia. J Abnorm Psychol 2013 May;122(2):475-91
Date
05/30/2013Pubmed ID
23713503DOI
10.1037/a0032713Scopus ID
2-s2.0-84878498154 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 26 CitationsAbstract
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 PFAuthor
Denis Birgenheir PhD Assistant Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AdolescentAdult
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