Prevalence and Correlates of Psychotic Like Experiences in a Large Community Sample of Young Adults in Tunisia

Despite the increased focus on non-clinical psychosis populations, no community surveys have properly investigated the phenotypal expression of Psychotic like experiences (PLEs) in the Arab-Muslim world. We aimed to examine the prevalence and correlates of PLEs in a large sample of Tunisian college students. A total of 1489 students (64.3% female, aged 18-40) participated in a cross-sectional survey. The Positive Subscale of Community Assessment of Psychotic Experiences was used to measure PLEs. The rates of PLEs found in our work were relatively high compared with those found in previous international studies, with 51.4% of the participants reporting at least one positive PLE 'nearly-always'. After controling for confounding variables, other drug use in the past year represented the only substance use variable among the significant predictors in the final model. Our findings should raise awareness of the need for implementing an early intervention programs in our region.