THE FACTOR STRUCTURE OF SCHIZOTYPAL SYMPTOMS IN A CLINICAL POPULATION

There is some support for the hypothesis that the factor structure of schizophrenia symptoms is similar to the factor structure of schizotyp al symptoms in nonschizophrenia populations. However, no studies to da te have examined schizotypal symptoms in patients with personality dis orders. In this study, confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to test the relative fit of several models of the factorial structure of schizotypal symptoms in patients diagnosed with personality disorders. The EQS: Structural Equations Program was used to analyze DSM-III sym ptoms of schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) based on structured cl inical interviews with 213 patients meeting a diagnosis for at least o ne personality disorder. A subgroup of the total sample was also evalu ated for DSM-III-R criteria (n = 143) to test competing models of the DSM-III-X symptoms of SPD. A three-factor model consisting of a cognit ive-perceptual, interpersonal, and paranoid factor yielded the best fi t to the data relative to the other models tested. These results sugge st that the three-factor model of schizophrenia symptoms may not entir ely correspond to the factors underlying milder schizotypal symptoms e xpressed in a clinical population. It is suggested that future researc h focus on both the similarities and the differences between SPD and s chizophrenia.