Abstract
BackgroundPeople diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum illnesses report higher levels of internalized stigma in comparison to other mental health diagnoses (Holzinger, Beck, Munk, Weithaas, & Angermeyer, 2003). Studies have shown high overlap between depression and symptoms of schizotypy in nonclinical adolescents (Fonseca-Pedrero, Paino, Lemos-Giráldez, & Muñiz, 2011), but the role that stigma plays in this relationship has yet to be examined. This is of importance because it can be targeted (Rüsch, Angermeyer, & Corrigan, 2005) and prior literature has found that awareness campaigns to reduce stigma can improve psychological functioning (Mittal, Sullivan, Chekuri, Allee, & Corrigan, 2012). Based on previous literature, we predict that schizotypal personality traits will be related to symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress (DASS), and that these will both be related to internalized stigma.MethodsThe current study is a sample of 494 college students who completed surveys to assess for schizotypal personality traits (SPQ; Raine, 1991), depression, anxiety and stress (Depression Anxiety Stress Scales DASS; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995), and internalized stigma (ISMI; Boyd, Otilingam, & DeForge, 2014).ResultsCorrelation coefficients indicated that higher endorsement of schizotypal personality was associated with greater DASS scores (r=.645; p<.01) and internalized stigma (r=.406; p<01). A multiple regression was conducted regressing SPQ on ISMI and DASS, F (2,491) = 183.949, p<.01, R2=.428. Controlling for ISMI scores, DASS was predictive of higher schizotypal personality ratings (Beta=.586; p<01). Controlling for DASS, ISMI scores were also predictive of schizotypal personality (Beta=.123; p=.002).DiscussionAs hypothesized, schizotypy, DASS, and internalized stigma were all positively associated. Internalized stigma could lead to symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress as well as schizotypy. It is possible that internalized stigma plays its own unique role in the onset of schyzotypy. This study is limited by the self-report and cross-sectional nature. Longitudinal studies are necessary to further assess causality in these variables. Screening for schizotypal personality traits when patients present for symptoms of depression and anxiety could be useful in early intervention efforts. Moreover, campaigns that target mental illness stigma could aid in improving psychological functioning, and in reducing schizotypal personality traits.
Highlights
Many studies have highlighted the similarity of the symptoms between bipolar disorders and schizophrenia
Seventy-four participants with chronic schizophrenia in community mental health facilities have been evaluated with the Scale to assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD), the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ), and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS)
The negative correlation was more obvious in participants with negative MDQ
Summary
Principal component analyses (PCA) studies show that schizophrenia symptoms are usually grouped into five domains. Most CFA studies addressing the five-factor model yielded poor fit indices. Other possible reasons for sample heterogeneity and subsequent poor model adjustments, such as differences in patients’ clinical profiles across clinical units and clinical staging, were not measured in this study. We aimed to replicate the effect of the CFA multilevel analyses and evaluate the possible influence of other heterogeneity sources as levels, i.e., clinical staging, on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) five-factor structure. Thereafter, we performed multilevel analyses considering the following levels: i) centers, ii) interviewers and iii) clinical staging for schizophrenia (first episode, treatment-resistant schizophrenia and non-treatment resistant schizophrenia). The CFA model without multilevel analyses yielded poor fit indices: RMSEA = 0.102 (90% CI: 0.097 – 0.107; Cfit was
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
