Identification and characterization of college students with Attenuated Psychosis Syndrome in China

Most studies on psychotic-like experiences in the non-clinical population were based on self-reported surveys, without any attempt to validate the clinical interview. The present study aimed to test whether the Attenuated Psychosis Syndrome (APS) could be detected in a college population by checking self-report results against an additional interview. A two-stage screening process was used in a sample of 579 college students (16–22 years old): a 16-item Chinese version of the Prodromal Questionnaire (CPQ-16) followed by the Structured Interview for Psychosis-Risk Syndromes (SIPS). Psychopathology symptoms were assessed using the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90). There were 20 (3.5%) students who met the criteria for the APS according to SIPS. Compared with control students, the students with APS were more likely to be from divorced families and had more psychopathology based on the SCL-90. Certain factors on the SCL-90, including Obsessive-Compulsive (OBS), Interpersonal Sensitivity (INT), and Depression (DEP) were significantly correlated with positive psychosis risk symptoms on the SIPS, but only DEP had a strong correlation with the total score on the SIPS. These results demonstrate that the APS can be detected in a college sample and that psychosis risk symptoms are associated with co-occurring psychopathology.