Latent profile analysis of psychosis liability in a community‐derived sample of adolescents: Links with mental health difficulties, suicidal ideation, bipolar‐like experiences and psychotic‐like experiences

Aim The main goal of the present study was to explore the latent structure of schizotypy as an indicator of psychosis liability, in a community‐derived sample of adolescents. Links to mental health difficulties, prosocial behaviour, suicidal ideation, bipolar‐like experiences and psychotic‐like experiences (PLEs) (severity and distress) were compared across schizotypy latent profiles. Method The present research included 1588 adolescents selected by a stratified random cluster sampling. The Oviedo Schizotypy Assessment Questionnaire (ESQUIZO‐Q), The Paykel Suicide Scale (PSS), The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), The Prodromal Questionnaire‐Brief (PQ‐B), The Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ), The Penn Matrix Reasoning Test (PMRT), The Family Affluence Scale‐II (FAS‐II), and The Oviedo Infrequency Scale (INF‐OV) were used. Results Using latent profile analysis four latent classes (LC) were identified: “Positive schizotypy” (14.1%, n = 224), “Low schizotypy” (51.9%, n = 825), “Social Disorganization schizotypy” (27.2%, n = 432), and “High schizotypy” (6.7%, n = 107). The “High schizotypy” class scored higher on several psychometric indicators of psychopathology (ie, mental health difficulties, suicide ideation, bipolar‐like experiences and PLEs) relative to the other three LC. Conclusion Four groups of adolescents with different patterns of schizotypal traits and different clinical‐pathological meaning were found. Deficits found across schizotypy latent profiles, resembling those found in patients with psychosis and ultra‐high risk samples. The identification of homogeneous subgroups of adolescents potentially at risk for psychosis may help us in the prevention of psychotic‐spectrum disorders and mental health problems.