What Is an Attenuated Psychotic Symptom? On the Importance of the Context

Attenuated psychotic symptoms (APS) are the key criteria to identify the individuals at enhanced risk of developing psychotic disorders. Competing clinicians-rated or self-rated psychometric instruments can also be used to detect APS, which makes it difficult to interpret their actual clinical significance. This article summarizes the empirical differences between the clinicians-rated and self-rated interviews and explores the impact of the context (referral pathways, settings, and assessment procedures) on the clinical significance of the APS.