Affiliation:
1. Youz Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Parnassia Psychiatric Institute Rotterdam and The Hague The Netherlands
2. Department of Psychiatry, Epidemiological and Psychiatric Research institute Erasmus MC Rotterdam The Netherlands
3. LUMC Curium—Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Leiden University Medical Center Leiden The Netherlands
4. Department of Clinical Psychology Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam The Netherlands
Abstract
AbstractAimTo compare psychotic‐like experiences (PLEs) in adolescents and young adults referred to the Mental Health Services (MHSs).MethodsParticipants scored the 16‐item Prodromal Questionnaire (PQ‐16) as part of the intake procedure. Data on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) classification and demographic data were collected.ResultsThe PQ‐16 was completed by 13 783 respondents (mean age 24.63 years, SD = 6.09; 62.6% female). Overall, the scores on the PQ‐16 were not higher for adolescents (11–17 years; m = 4.84, SD = 3.62) than for young adults (18–35 years; m = 5.47, SD = 3.85). On PQ‐16 item level, adolescents reported seeing and hearing things more than adults did. Across all age groups, males scored lower on the PQ‐16 than females. Specifically, adolescent males scored lower than other participants. For adolescents and young adults alike, PQ‐16 scores were higher for participants with borderline personality disorder, PTSD, and mood disorder than for those with other DSM classifications.ConclusionsAlthough help‐seeking adolescents did not score higher on the PQ‐16 than help‐seeking young adults, more of them reported perceptual anomalies. Irrespective of age, participants with borderline personality disorder, PTSD and mood disorder scored higher on the PQ‐16 than those with other DSM classifications.