Relation of depression and anxiety symptoms with the three-factor model's schizotypal personality

Mood and anxiety symptoms are frequently present in patients with schizophrenia. Like schizophrenia, schizotypal has been described as a multidimensional construct comprising three factors. These factors include cognitive perceptual deficits, interpersonal deficits, and disorganization factors. The present study examined the relationship of three-factor model of schizotypal and depression-anxiety symptoms in non-clinical sample. The current study was conducted in correlational context. A group of 248 normal participants (113 male and 135 female), using stratified random sampling method, took part in this research. Participants answered to Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief (SPQ-B), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Data were analyzed using stepwise multiple regression analysis. The results indicated that depression is more strongly associated with the cognitive perceptual deficits and disorganization dimension of schizotypal than with the interpersonal deficits dimension. In relation with anxiety, the results indicated that anxiety is more strongly associated with the disorganization, cognitive perceptual deficits, and interpersonal deficits dimensions, respectively. In line with previous research on schizotypal and schizophrenia, the general finding is consistent with the fact that depression and anxiety symptoms are more closely associated with positive schizotypal. The present findings are consistent with the notion that both positive schizotypal and anxiety/depression involve affect dysregulation, especially regarding the experience of negative effect.