Assessing Levels of Subthreshold Psychotic Symptoms in the Recovery Phase: The Schizotypal Symptoms Inventory (SSI)
Hodgekins J., Coker S., Freeman D., Ray-Glover K., Bebbington P., Garety P., Kuipers E., Dunn G., Fowler D.
Objective Subthreshold psychotic symptoms occurring during the recovery stages of psychosis may impede social functioning and precipitate relapse. Traditional assessment tools lack adequate sensitivity to assess such phenomena. The study aim was to develop a comprehensive self-report measure of residual psychotic symptoms. Method The psychometric properties of the Schizotypal Symptoms Inventory (SSI) were analysed in a sample of 808 students and a sample of 126 clinical cases recovering from psychosis. Levels of schizotypal symptoms were compared between the two groups. Results The SSI was shown to have good psychometric properties. The clinical sample had higher scores on all dimensions of the SSI than the non-clinical sample. Social anxiety symptoms were particularly prevalent in the recovery phase. Conclusions Individuals recovering from acute psychosis experience high levels of subthreshold psychotic symptoms which may impede long-term recovery. The SSI has robust psychometric properties and could be used to assess these phenomena.