The psychosis continuum and categorical versus dimensional diagnostic approaches
Abstract
This overview briefly presents recent thinking on the dimensional approach to understanding psychotic experiences. First, evidence is provided for a continuum of psychosis ranging from self-reported infrequent psychotic symptoms in the general population, to schizotypal traits, to schizotypal personality disorder, and finally to full-blown psychosis resulting in a diagnosable primary psychotic disorder. Variation within each of these types of psychotic experience is discussed. Then, a comparison is presented between categorical and dimensional approaches to the diagnosis of psychosis by highlighting four advantages of each approach. In doing so, it is emphasized that the categorical approach is beneficial primarily in terms of reliability, whereas the dimensional approach would enhance validity.
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Schizotypy is also a personality trait.
“schizotypy is also a personality trait (Esterberg & Compton, 2009; Nelson et al., 2013)”
From Systematic reviews of the acute effects of amphetamine on working memory and other cognitive performances in healthy individuals, with a focus on the potential influence of personality traits (2023) · cites this paper as Esterberg & Compton, 2009
Cites
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“Sensory defi cits, such as mild hearing impairment, also may be associated with a higher prevalence of psychotic (eg, hallucinatory) experiences [ 19 ].”
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“However, personality traits are not limited to the Big Five (DeYoung, 2015) and schizotypy is also a personality trait (Esterberg & Compton, 2009; Nelson et al., 2013), although the as- sociation of psychoticism or schizotypy personality disorder with openness to experience is a topic of debate…”
Background
- Authors
- Esterberg, M. L., & Compton, M. T.
- Affiliations
- Emory University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Compton, Michael T.
- ORCID
- Compton, Michael T.
- Venue
- Current Psychiatry Reports
- Published
- 2009-05-15
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 179-184
- ISSN
- 1523-3812 (ISSN-L)
- 1535-1645
- OpenAlex
- W2025781944
- Cited by
- 97
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 3.85
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Current Psychiatry Reports (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Mental Health and Psychiatry
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Mental Health Research Topics
- Keywords
- psychosis continuum, dimensional approach, categorical approach, psychotic experiences, schizotypy, schizotypal personality disorder, primary psychotic disorders, diagnostic validity, diagnostic reliability, general population
- MeSH terms
- Female, Humans, Male, Models, Psychological, Personality Assessment, Personality Inventory, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Psychometrics, Psychotic Disorders, Surveys and Questionnaires, Schizophrenia, Schizophrenic Psychology, Schizotypal Personality Disorder, Reproducibility of Results, Prevalence, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
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