Interpersonal Sensitivity in The At-Risk Mental State for Psychosis

Abstract

The aim behind the study was to study the level of interpersonal sensitivity in individuals with an at-risk mental state (ARMS) for psychosis compared to the individuals not at risk for psychosis. It was hypothesized that individuals with ARMS for psychosis will report higher interpersonal sensitivity than individuals who are not. A total sample of 50 individuals was recruited from Bahria University, Karwan-e-Hayat and Karachi Psychiatric Hospital: 25 with an ARMS for psychosis and 25 participants who were not ARMS, were placed in the respective categories after being evaluated with Schizophrenia Proneness Inventory-Adult, a semi-structured interview. All of the participants then finished a series of self-report questions, the Interpersonal Sensitivity Measure. Results were analyzed using Independent t- test which showed a significant difference (P=,000), between both the groups where individuals with ARMS reported higher interpersonal sensitivity compared to those who were not at risk. The study concludes that being ‘hypersensitive' to interpersonal interactions is a psychological feature of the putatively prodromal phase of psychosis.