Validation of the Community Assessment Psychic Experiences -42 (CAPE-42) in Spanish college students and patients with psychosis

Abstract

Psychotic-like experiences can be considered as a vulnerability marker for psychotic disorders. The psychometric assessment of the extended psychosis phenotype has advanced considerably in recent years, although it must continue to deepen the quality of self-reports available for its assessment in Spanish population. The main goal was to analyze the psychometric quality of the Community Assessment Psychic Experiences-42 (CAPE-42) in Spanish college students and patients with psychosis. The final sample was comprised of a total of 660 students (M = 20.3 years, SD = 2.6) and 97 patients with psychosis (M = 35.4 years, SD = 10.2). The goodness of fit indices resulting from the confirmatory factor analysis that tested the hypothesized three-dimensional model (Positive, Negative and Depressive) were not adequate. In contrast, the exploratory factor analysis yielded a three-dimensional solution. Internal consistency values for the three dimensions of the CAPE-42 ranged between 0.78 and 0.89 in the sample of students and between 0.84 and 0.93 in the patients with psychosis. The CAPE-42 scores correlated statistically significant with delusions and trait anxiety and state. These results show further evidence of validity of the CAPE-42 scores in samples of the Spanish population and support its use as a tool for the assessment of the extended psychosis phenotype.