Subclinical psychosis syndromes in the general population: results from a large-scale epidemiological survey among residents of the canton of Zurich, Switzerland

Rössler, Wulf; Ajdacic-Gross, Vladeta; Haker, Helene; Rodgers, Stephanie; Müller, Mario; Hengartner, Michael Pascal

doi:10.1017/S2045796013000681

Publication type:	Article in scientific journal
Type of review:	Peer review (publication)
Title:	Subclinical psychosis syndromes in the general population: results from a large-scale epidemiological survey among residents of the canton of Zurich, Switzerland
Authors:	Rössler, Wulf Ajdacic-Gross, Vladeta Haker, Helene Rodgers, Stephanie Müller, Mario Hengartner, Michael Pascal
DOI:	10.1017/S2045796013000681
Published in:	Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences
Volume(Issue):	24
Issue:	1
Page(s):	69
Pages to:	77
Issue Date:	2013
Publisher / Ed. Institution:	Cambridge University Press
ISSN:	2045-7960 2045-7979
Language:	English
Subjects:	Subclinical psychosis
Subject (DDC):	616.89: Mental disorders, clinical psychology and psychiatry
Abstract:	Aims: Prevalence and covariates of subclinical psychosis have gained increased interest in the context of early identification and treatment of persons at risk for psychosis. Methods: We analysed 9829 adults representative of the general population within the canton of Zurich, Switzerland. Two psychosis syndromes, derived from the SCL-90-R, were applied: ‘schizotypal signs’ and ‘schizophrenia nuclear symptoms’. Results: Only a few subjects (13.2%) reported no schizotypal signs. While 33.2% of subjects indicated mild signs, only a small proportion (3.7%) reported severe signs. A very common outcome was no ‘schizophrenia nuclear symptoms’ (70.6%). Although 13.5% of the participants reported mild symptoms, severe nuclear symptoms were very rare (0.5%). Because these two syndromes were only moderately correlated (r = 0.43), we were able to establish sufficiently distinct symptom clusters. Schizotypal signs were more closely connected to distress than was schizophrenia nuclear symptoms, even though their distribution types were similar. Both syndromes were associated with several covariates, such as alcohol and tobacco use, being unmarried, low education level, psychopathological distress and low subjective well-being. Conclusions: Subclinical psychosis symptoms are quite frequent in the general population but, for the most part, are not very pronounced. In particular, our data support the notion of a continuous Wald distribution of psychotic symptoms in the general population. Our findings have enabled us to confirm the usefulness of these syndromes as previously assessed in other independent community samples. Both can appropriately be associated with well-known risk factors of schizophrenia.
URI:	https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/15123
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	Licence according to publishing contract
Departement:	Applied Psychology
Organisational Unit:	Psychological Institute (PI)
Appears in collections:	Publikationen Angewandte Psychologie

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Rössler, W., Ajdacic-Gross, V., Haker, H., Rodgers, S., Müller, M., & Hengartner, M. P. (2013). Subclinical psychosis syndromes in the general population: results from a large-scale epidemiological survey among residents of the canton of Zurich, Switzerland. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 24(1), 69–77. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796013000681

Rössler, W. et al. (2013) ‘Subclinical psychosis syndromes in the general population: results from a large-scale epidemiological survey among residents of the canton of Zurich, Switzerland’, Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 24(1), pp. 69–77. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796013000681.

W. Rössler, V. Ajdacic-Gross, H. Haker, S. Rodgers, M. Müller, and M. P. Hengartner, “Subclinical psychosis syndromes in the general population: results from a large-scale epidemiological survey among residents of the canton of Zurich, Switzerland,” Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 69–77, 2013, doi: 10.1017/S2045796013000681.

RÖSSLER, Wulf, Vladeta AJDACIC-GROSS, Helene HAKER, Stephanie RODGERS, Mario MÜLLER und Michael Pascal HENGARTNER, 2013. Subclinical psychosis syndromes in the general population: results from a large-scale epidemiological survey among residents of the canton of Zurich, Switzerland. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences. 2013. Bd. 24, Nr. 1, S. 69–77. DOI 10.1017/S2045796013000681

Rössler, Wulf, Vladeta Ajdacic-Gross, Helene Haker, Stephanie Rodgers, Mario Müller, and Michael Pascal Hengartner. 2013. “Subclinical Psychosis Syndromes in the General Population: Results from a Large-Scale Epidemiological Survey among Residents of the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland.” Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences 24 (1): 69–77. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796013000681.

Rössler, Wulf, et al. “Subclinical Psychosis Syndromes in the General Population: Results from a Large-Scale Epidemiological Survey among Residents of the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland.” Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, vol. 24, no. 1, 2013, pp. 69–77, https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796013000681.