Volume 13, Issue 4 pp. 752-760
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Screening for psychosis risk among help-seeking adolescents: Application of the Italian version of the 16-item prodromal questionnaire (iPQ-16) in child and adolescent neuropsychiatry services

Lorenzo Pelizza

Corresponding Author

Lorenzo Pelizza

Department of Mental Health and Pathological Addiction, Reggio Emilia Public Health Centre, Reggio Emilia, Italy

Correspondence

Dr Lorenzo Pelizza c/o CSM Petrella, Via Errico Petrella n.1/A, 42100 Reggio Emilia (RE), Italy.

Email: [email protected]

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Silvia Azzali

Silvia Azzali

Department of Mental Health and Pathological Addiction, Reggio Emilia Public Health Centre, Reggio Emilia, Italy

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Federica Paterlini

Federica Paterlini

Department of Mental Health and Pathological Addiction, Reggio Emilia Public Health Centre, Reggio Emilia, Italy

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Sara Garlassi

Sara Garlassi

Department of Mental Health and Pathological Addiction, Reggio Emilia Public Health Centre, Reggio Emilia, Italy

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Ilaria Scazza

Ilaria Scazza

Department of Mental Health and Pathological Addiction, Reggio Emilia Public Health Centre, Reggio Emilia, Italy

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Luigi Rocco Chiri

Luigi Rocco Chiri

Department of Mental Health and Pathological Addiction, Bologna Public Health Centre, Bologna, Italy

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Michele Poletti

Michele Poletti

Department of Mental Health and Pathological Addiction, Reggio Emilia Public Health Centre, Reggio Emilia, Italy

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Simona Pupo

Simona Pupo

Intensive Care Unit, Guastalla Civil Hospital, Reggio Emilia Public Health Centre, Reggio Emilia, Italy

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Andrea Raballo

Andrea Raballo

Department of Psychology, Childhood and Development Research Group, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway

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First published: 14 March 2018
Citations: 26
Funding information Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Onsager Fellowship programme in Psychopathology and Development

Abstract

Aim

The 16-item Prodromal Questionnaire (PQ-16) is a versatile screen tool for routine screening of at-risk individuals. We wished to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the PQ-16 (iPQ-16) in a sample of 72 help-seeking adolescents (age range 13-17 years) referred to child and adolescent neuropsychiatry services for diagnostic assessment.

Methods

Participants who completed iPQ-16 were subsequently interviewed with the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States (CAARMS) to confirm the psychosis high risk state. We then examined the diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values [PPV e NPV]) and concurrent validity between iPQ-16 and CAARMS using Cronbach's alpha and Cohen's kappa. We also tested the validity of the adopted iPQ-16 cut-offs through Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves plotted against CAARMS diagnoses and the 1-year predictive validity of the iPQ-16.

Results

Overall, the psychometric properties of the iPQ-16 were satisfactory. The iPQ-16 showed high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .827) and acceptable diagnostic accuracy (77% sensitivity, 72% PPV) and concurrent validity (Cohen's k = 0.309). ROC analyses pointed to iPQ-16 total distress score of ≥10 as best cut-off.

Conclusion

The iPQ-16 is a reliable and valid instrument for routine screening of at-risk individuals in Italian neuropsychiatry services.

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