Over-representation of Maori New Zealanders among adolescents in a schizotypy taxon

BackgroundMinority ethnic and migrant groups are often over-represented among those with schizophrenia.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to determine whether Maori, the aboriginal minority of New Zealand, are over-represented in a schizotypy taxon derived from a general population sample of adolescents.MethodSecondary school students (n = 387) aged 13 to 17 years completed self-report measures of four schizotypy attributes, magical thinking, hallucinatory tendency, self-referential ideation, and perceptual aberration, and indicated ethnic descent and self-identified ethnic belonging.ResultsTaxometric analyses (maximum covariance, maximum eigenvalue, latent modes) yielded consistent evidence of taxonicity of schizotypy. Participants who were of Maori descent were over-represented in the schizotypy group.ConclusionsEthnicity, or the stress and resilience factors for which ethnicity is a proxy measure, has a measurable impact on psychometric risk for schizophrenia.