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Prevalence and correlates of self-reported psychotic symptoms in the British population

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Louise C. Johns*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London
Mary Cannon
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London
Nicola Singleton
Affiliation:
Drugs & Alcohol Research Programme, Research Development & Statistics Directorate, Home Office, London
Robin M. Murray
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London
Michael Farrell
Affiliation:
National Addiction Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, London
Traolach Brugha
Affiliation:
University of Leicester, Section of Social and Epidemiological Psychiatry, Department of Health Sciences, Leicester General Hospital, Leicester
Paul Bebbington
Affiliation:
Royal Free and University College Medical School, Department of Mental Health Sciences, London
Rachel Jenkins
Affiliation:
WHO Collaborating Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, London
Howard Meltzer
Affiliation:
Office for National Statistics, London
*
Dr L. C. Johns, PO 67 Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK. E-mail: ljohns@iop.kcl.ac.uk
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Abstract

Background

The psychosis phenotype is generally thought of as a categorical entity. However, there is increasing evidence that psychosis exists in the population as a continuum of severity rather than an all-or-none phenomenon.

Aims

To investigate the prevalence and correlates of self-reported psychotic symptoms using data from the 2000 British National Survey of Psychiatric Morbidity.

Method

A total of 8580 respondents aged 16–74 years were interviewed. Questions covered mental health, physical health, substance use, life events and socio-demographic variables. The Psychosis Screening Questionnaire (PSQ) was used to identify psychotic symptoms.

Results

Of the respondents, 5.5% endorsed one or more items on the PSQ. Factors independently associated with psychotic symptoms were cannabis dependence, alcohol dependence, victimisation, recent stressful life events, lower intellectual ability and neurotic symptoms. Male gender was associated with paranoid thoughts, whereas female gender predicted hallucinatory experiences.

Conclusions

Self-reported psychotic symptoms are less common in this study than reported elsewhere, because of the measure used. These symptoms have demographic and clinical correlates similar to clinical psychosis.

Information

Type
Papers
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 
Figure 0

Table I Percentage of respondents who endorsed each question on the Psychosis Screening Questionnaire (PSQ)

Figure 1

Table 2 Frequencies of the variables examined for associations with psychotic symptoms

Figure 2

Table 3 Associations between risk factors and psychotic symptoms on the Psychosis Screening Questionnaire (PSQ)

Figure 3

Table 4 Associations between risk factors and paranoid thoughts

Figure 4

Table 5 Associations between risk factors and hallucinatory experiences

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