Approche dimensionnelle de la personnalité schizotypique : étude comparative de deux populations estudiantines française et tunisienne

Abstract

Object. – The schizotypal personality questionnaire (SPQ) conceived by Raine in 1992 is a psychometric assessment tool measuring the 9 DSM-IV features of schizotypal personality : “Ideas of reference”, “Magical thinking”, “Unusual perceptual experiences”, “Paranoid ideation”, “Social anxiety”, “No close friends”, “Constricted affect”, “Odd behaviour” and “Odd speech”. Validation of this questionnaire was studied on ethnically different populations. The aim of this study was to compare the SPQ scores (total scores and 9 subscales) between French and Tunisian students populations. Methodology. – It is about a comparative transverse study of two groups of students : a first group constituted by 198 students of the medicine university of Monastir (Tunisia). The second group containing 232 students of Lyon I University (France). We compared the mean total scores and mean scores at the 9 sub-scales of the SPQ between two groups. Results. – The mean total score in Tunisian group was higher 25.2 ± 12.3 vs 23.1 ± 12.1 in the French group. The difference was not significant ( P < 0.07). Mean total score was significantly higher in Tunisian woman's group regard to French women group (26.6 ± 11,6 vs 22.3 ± 11.2, P = 0.005). There was no difference between Tunisian and French man's group. Concerning the scores in SPQ subscales, the Tunisian group scored significantly higher in: “social anxiety” ( P = 0,001), “no close friends” ( P < 0.0001), “constricted affect” ( P < 0.001) and “paranoid ideation” ( P < 0.0001), which corresponds to the negative dimension of schizotypy. While, French group scored significantly higher in: “unusual perceptive experiences” ( P < 0.0001) and “odd speech” ( P = 0.003), which corresponds to the positive dimension of schizotypy. Almost the same result was found in woman's and man's groups separately. Tunisian woman's group scored significantly higher in “social anxiety” ( P = 0.01), “no close friends” ( P < 0.0001), “constricted affect” ( P < 0.0001) and “paranoid ideation” ( P < 0.0001). French woman's group had significantly higher scores in “unusual perceptive experiences” ( P = 0.04). Similarly, Tunisian man's group scored significantly higher in “social anxiety” ( P = 0.03), “no close friends” ( P < 0.0001) and “paranoid ideation” ( P = 0.0002). French man's group scored significantly higher in “unusual perceptive experiences” ( p < 0.0001) and “odd speech” ( P = 0.001). Comments and conclusion. – Our results showed differences between French and Tunisian students in expression of schizotypy dimensions. Tunisian students seem to express more negative schizotypy and French students express more positive schizotypy. It evokes the possible influence of sociocultural context, which may be different between French and Maghrebian societies. Influence of drug use which is more frequent in European countries than in Maghreb, seems to be associated with positive symptoms of schizotypy. The results emphasize also the necessity of adaptation of such instruments : SPQ and other tool of assessment of personality disorders. The role of biological and especially the genetic factors in expression of schizotypy can be also evoked.