TY - JOUR

T1 - Measuring Psychotic-Like Experiences in the General Population

AU - Nordgaard, Julie

AU - Buch-Pedersen, Marlene

AU - Hastrup, Lene Halling

AU - Haahr, Ulrik Helt

AU - Simonsen, Erik

PY - 2019

Y1 - 2019

N2 - Introduction: The notion of a full psychosis continuum in which psychosis is seen on a continuum with normal experience rests heavily on studies showing that psychotic symptoms are common in the general population. However, the methods of assessment in the studies have been criticized. Objectives: (1) to investigate how many from the general population who answered positively on a psychotic-like symptoms questionnaire and (2) to clinically assess a subset of those with psychotic-like experiences (PLE). Methods: A self-rating questionnaire concerning PLEs was given to individuals from the general population. A subsample of those, who scored positively for PLEs, was clinically assessed for psychosis. Results: Totally, 5.7% of the participants rated positive for PLEs according to the self-rating questionnaire. Forty of these were clinically assessed and 7 (17.5%) of them were found to have had a psychotic experience, 4 of them were already in psychiatric treatment. Conclusion: The self-reported psychotic-like phenomena were more common in the general population than psychotic disorders. However, when assessed clinically, the experienced phenomena did correspond to psychotic phenomena except in a few patients, who were found to suffer from a psychotic disorder. Overall, we did not find support for the full psychosis continuum model.

AB - Introduction: The notion of a full psychosis continuum in which psychosis is seen on a continuum with normal experience rests heavily on studies showing that psychotic symptoms are common in the general population. However, the methods of assessment in the studies have been criticized. Objectives: (1) to investigate how many from the general population who answered positively on a psychotic-like symptoms questionnaire and (2) to clinically assess a subset of those with psychotic-like experiences (PLE). Methods: A self-rating questionnaire concerning PLEs was given to individuals from the general population. A subsample of those, who scored positively for PLEs, was clinically assessed for psychosis. Results: Totally, 5.7% of the participants rated positive for PLEs according to the self-rating questionnaire. Forty of these were clinically assessed and 7 (17.5%) of them were found to have had a psychotic experience, 4 of them were already in psychiatric treatment. Conclusion: The self-reported psychotic-like phenomena were more common in the general population than psychotic disorders. However, when assessed clinically, the experienced phenomena did correspond to psychotic phenomena except in a few patients, who were found to suffer from a psychotic disorder. Overall, we did not find support for the full psychosis continuum model.

KW - Clinician

KW - Phenomenology

KW - Psychopathology

KW - Psychosis-continuum

KW - Self-rated

U2 - 10.1159/000502048

DO - 10.1159/000502048

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 31454823

AN - SCOPUS:85071691067

VL - 52

SP - 240

EP - 247

JO - Psychopathology

JF - Psychopathology

SN - 0254-4962

IS - 4

ER -