Antonio Preti1, Davide Sisti2, Marco Bruno Luigi Rocchi2, Sara Siddi3, Matteo Cella4, Carmelo Masala5, Donatella Rita Petretto5, Mauro Giovanni Carta6. 1. Center of Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatics, University Hospital, University of Cagliari, Italy; Section on Clinical Psychology, Department of Education, Psychology, Philosophy, University of Cagliari, Italy; Genneruxi Medical Center, Cagliari, Italy. Electronic address: apreti@tin.it. 2. Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Service of Biostatistics, University of Urbino, Italy. 3. Section on Clinical Psychology, Department of Education, Psychology, Philosophy, University of Cagliari, Italy; Unit of Research and development, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain. 4. Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, SE5 8AF, London, UK. 5. Section on Clinical Psychology, Department of Education, Psychology, Philosophy, University of Cagliari, Italy. 6. Center of Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatics, University Hospital, University of Cagliari, Italy.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The study of hallucination-like experiences (HLEs) in non-clinical populations is increasingly used to corroborate etiological models of psychosis. This method capitalizes on the absence of confounding factors that typically affect the study of hallucinations in clinical subjects. AIM: To estimate the prevalence of HLEs in young adults; validate the mutidimensionality and explore the correlates of latent HLEs clusters. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey design. The extended 16-item Launay-Slade Hallucination Scale (LSHS-E) and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) were administered to 649 Italian college students (males: 47%). Confirmatory factorial analysis was used to test multidimensionality of the LSHS-E. Hierarchical nested, progressively constrained models were used to assess configural, metric and scalar invariance of the LSHS-E. Latent class analysis was used to test the existence of different profiles of responding across the identified hallucination-proneness dimensions. RESULTS: Factor analysis showed that the four-factor model had the best fit. Factors were invariant across demographic variables and levels of psychological distress. Three latent classes were found: a large class with no HLEs (70% of participants), a multisensory HLEs class (18.8%), and a high hallucination-proneness class (11%). Among those reporting high levels of HLEs, approximately half reported scores indicative of considerable psychological distress. CONCLUSIONS: Although HLEs have a relatively high prevalence in the general population, the majority of those experiences happen in isolation and are not associated to psychological distress. Approximately half of those individuals experiencing high levels of HLEs report significant psychological distress. This may be indicative of general risk for mental health conditions rather than specific risk for psychosis.
BACKGROUND: The study of hallucination-like experiences (HLEs) in non-clinical populations is increasingly used to corroborate etiological models of psychosis. This method capitalizes on the absence of confounding factors that typically affect the study of hallucinations in clinical subjects. AIM: To estimate the prevalence of HLEs in young adults; validate the mutidimensionality and explore the correlates of latent HLEs clusters. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey design. The extended 16-item Launay-Slade Hallucination Scale (LSHS-E) and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) were administered to 649 Italian college students (males: 47%). Confirmatory factorial analysis was used to test multidimensionality of the LSHS-E. Hierarchical nested, progressively constrained models were used to assess configural, metric and scalar invariance of the LSHS-E. Latent class analysis was used to test the existence of different profiles of responding across the identified hallucination-proneness dimensions. RESULTS: Factor analysis showed that the four-factor model had the best fit. Factors were invariant across demographic variables and levels of psychological distress. Three latent classes were found: a large class with no HLEs (70% of participants), a multisensory HLEs class (18.8%), and a high hallucination-proneness class (11%). Among those reporting high levels of HLEs, approximately half reported scores indicative of considerable psychological distress. CONCLUSIONS: Although HLEs have a relatively high prevalence in the general population, the majority of those experiences happen in isolation and are not associated to psychological distress. Approximately half of those individuals experiencing high levels of HLEs report significant psychological distress. This may be indicative of general risk for mental health conditions rather than specific risk for psychosis.
Authors: Sara Siddi; Susana Ochoa; Aida Farreny; Gildas Brébion; Frank Larøi; Jorge Cuevas-Esteban; Josep Maria Haro; Christian Stephan-Otto; Antonio Preti Journal: Int J Methods Psychiatr Res Date: 2018-09-20 Impact factor: 4.035
Authors: Claire A A Mitchell; Murray T Maybery; Suzanna N Russell-Smith; Daniel Collerton; Gilles E Gignac; Flavie Waters Journal: Front Psychol Date: 2017-08-11
Authors: Sara Siddi; Susana Ochoa; Frank Laroi; Matteo Cella; Andrea Raballo; Sandra Saldivia; Yanet Quijada; Julien Laloyaux; Nuno Barbosa Rocha; Tania M Lincoln; Björn Schlier; Evangelos Ntouros; Vasileios P Bozikas; Lukasz Gaweda; Sergio Machado; Antonio E Nardi; Demián Rodante; Smita N Deshpande; Josep Maria Haro; Antonio Preti Journal: Schizophr Bull Date: 2019-02-01 Impact factor: 9.306