The CBQ-p: A confirmatory study on factor structure and convergent validity with psychotic-like experiences and cognitions in adolescents and young adults

The Cognitive Biases Questionnaire for psychosis (CBQ-p) is a recently developed self-report measure assessing cognitive distortions relevant to psychotic symptoms and experiences, specifically for the onset and maintenance of delusional ideas. In Italy, there is a lack of assessment tools measuring these aspects. In addition, no international study investigated the relations of CBQ-p with subthreshold psychotic-like experiences. The current study assessed the factor structure of the Italian CBQ-p with confirmatory analyses in community adolescents and young adults. A further aim was to examine its convergent validity with measures of aberrant salience, cognitive biases specific to psychosis, inferential confusion, worry, and subthreshold psychotic-like experiences. Three hundred eighty-eight adolescents and young adults of the community (mean age= 19.22, 55% females) completed the CBQ-p, measures of cognitive distortions of psychosis, aberrant salience, inferential confusion, worry and subthreshold psychotic-like experiences. Confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency and Pearson's correlations were computed. The Italian CBQ-p demonstrated good psychometric properties; the total scale and subscales reported convergent validity with subthreshold psychotic experiences.