Relationship between substance use and schizotypal traits in school-aged adolescents

Goal: The main goal of the present study was to analyze the relationship between substance use (tobacco, alcohol, cannabis) and schizotypal traits in a representative sample of school-aged adolescents from the general population. Method: cross-sectional, descriptive survey 1,588 students (M = 16.13 years, SD = 1.36), 739 male (46.5%), selected by random stratified cluster sampling, participated in the study. The instruments administered were the Oviedo Questionnaire for Schizotypy Assessment, the Modified Substance Use Questionnaire, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, the Penn Matrix Reasoning Test, the Family Affluence Scale-II, and the Oviedo Infrequency Scale. Results: Controlling for the effects of multiple covariates (gender, age, IQ, socio-economic level, psychopathology and consumption), the results showed that, compared with non-users, alcohol drinkers reported higher average scores in the Social Disorganization dimension. Cigarette smokers, differentiated by frequency, reported higher average scores in the Anhedonia and Social Disorganization dimensions than non-smokers. No statistically significant differences between users and non-users of cannabis were found in terms of schizotypal traits. Conclusion: controlling for the effects of multiple covariates, adolescents who use tobacco and alcohol reported higher scores - depending on frequency of use - in schizotypal traits. Future studies should continue to analyze the role of substance use in individuals at risk of psychosis and determine its role in the transition to serious mental disorders, like psychosis, using new methodologies such as ambulatory assessment.