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Background Little consideration has been given to the impact of COVID-19 on people at risk of psychosis despite their particular preexisting vulnerability. We aimed to examine the role of coping strategies in determining the levels of fear in nonclinical students with high levels of self-reported schizotypal personality traits as compared to low-schizotypy controls. Method This was a cross-sectional survey. The Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale and The Brief-Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced were used. Results High-schizotypy students had significantly higher maladaptive strategies scores and higher levels of fear of COVID-19 as compared to low-schizotypy students. Multivariate analyses have shown that high-schizotypy individuals were likely to rely on coping responses that are maladaptive (venting) and have potential exacerbating effects on fear of COVID-19, whereas low-schizotypy individuals were likely to use adaptive responses (acceptance) that seemed to be effective in reducing fear of COVID-19. Conclusion This study provided preliminary cross-sectional evidence for a differential impact of COVID-19 on individuals according to their schizotypy features. However, larger longitudinal population-based studies are necessary to confirm our findings.

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Background Mental disorders are widespread among students. However, mental health help‐seeking remains low. Several reviews and meta‐analyses have shown that the main barrier to seeking help from mental health professionals is stigma. This paper aimed to assess stigma in a sample of students, and its association with help‐seeking intentions and comfort with disclosing a mental illness. Method The ‘Community Attitudes toward the Mentally Ill’, the ‘Mental Health Knowledge Schedule’, and the ‘Reported and Intended Behaviour Scale’ were administered to a total of 714 college students (62.2% female; mean age = 20.9). Results We found that 43.8% of students agreed that one of the main causes of mental illness is a lack of self‐discipline and willpower, 21.9% did not consider depression as a mental illness, and 39.6% felt that they would be 'unlikely' or 'very unlikely' to seek the help of a health professional for mental health problems. Females had higher scores in help‐seeking intentions (p < .001) and knowledge of mental illness (p = .019). Students' age negatively correlated with knowledge (p < .001, r = −.147). Pearson correlations indicated that help‐seeking intentions positively correlated with more favourable future intentions of being in contact with a person with a mental illness (p < .001, r = .103) and greater mental health knowledge (p < .001, r = .163); and that comfort with disclosing significantly and negatively correlated with attitudes (p < .001, r = −.125). Conclusion To date, few young people see mental health professionals as a preferred source of support, and action is needed to change this perception or reform mental health services to make them more attractive to this age group.

Aim Prior research has consistently demonstrated a relationship between childhood trauma (CT) exposure and an increased risk of developing psychotic‐like experiences (PLE) and disorders. Studying the link between CT and PLE in non‐clinical populations with or without genetic risk factors could help elucidate the etiopathogeny of psychotic disorders, by removing the effect of confounding variables related to psychotic‐spectrum illnesses. Method A total of 60 non‐affected siblings of patients with schizophrenia and 75 controls (aged 18‐35 years) participated in a cross‐sectional survey. The Positive Subscale of Community Assessment of Psychotic Experiences (CAPE) and the CT Questionnaire were used. Results We found no significant difference with regard to positive dimension of the CAPE between the two groups. Siblings have reported higher CAPE negative symptoms scores than controls (27.9 vs 24.2; P = .015), and more emotional abuse and physical neglect during childhood than controls. After controlling for demographic and psychosocial variables, sexual abuse, emotional neglect and physical neglect were positively related to positive psychotic symptoms in the control group, whereas no dimension of CT has been linked to these symptoms in the sibling group. Conclusion The link between CT and psychosis seems to be complex, not only dependent on genetic vulnerability or early environmental factors shared by siblings of patients with psychotic disorders, but also several other confounding factors, including other psychopathological symptoms. Prevention strategies for individuals at genetic risk of psychosis should pay particular attention to CT as a potential predictor of sub‐clinical depression and psychosis.