Patrick Raynal

La schizotypie est un trait de personnalité caractérisé par un niveau subclinique de symptômes de la schizophrénie, avec des caractéristiques dites positives (croyances et perceptions inhabituelles) ou négatives (retrait et anxiété sociale). Cette thèse a pour but de mieux comprendre comment la schizotypie s'articule avec d'autres dimensions psychopathologiques.Dans une première partie nous avons étudié les liens entre schizotypie et traits autistiques dans 2 populations d'étudiants scientifiques au moyen d'analyses par classification. Une première analyse sur la base des traits schizotypiques et autistiques a identifié 4 groupes avec des profils distincts, dont un cluster à haut niveau de traits. Cette combinaison de traits est associée à des signes de dégradation psychopathologique (symptômes anxieux et dépressifs, attachement insécurisé) et à de moindres performances académiques. Une deuxième étude propose une typologie des étudiants en fonction des traits schizotypique, autistique et cyclothymique. Cette typologie fait apparaître un cluster à hauts traits, avec un niveau élevé de symptômes de dépression et d'idéation suicidaire et de moindres résultats universitaires. Ces 2 études suggèrent donc que la combinaison de traits schizotypes et autistiques a une influence négative sur la réussite dans le domaine scientifique, en lien avec une comorbidité dépressive.La deuxième partie établit une typologie du jeune adulte afin de réexaminer le concept de "schizotypie saine", défini comme trait de schizotypie positive sans autre dimensions de la schizotypie. Nos résultats confirment que la shizotypie positive est associée à des bénéfices (e.g., qualité perçue des relations interpersonnelles) mais aussi à des traits de troubles de la personnalité et à des symptômes psychopathologiques, ce qui interpelle le concept de schizotypie saine. Dans une dernière étude nous avons identifié des biais illustrant l’impression que la schizotypie positive est plus saine qu’en réalité.

Smoking cessation after a cancer diagnosis is a key determinant of prognosis, yet the psychological mechanisms underlying cessation remain poorly understood. Building on a recently validated Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) scale, this study examined whether baseline HAPA constructs predicted short-term smoking cessation and tobacco dependence in patients with head and neck cancer. Eighty-nine patients completed assessments at diagnosis (T0) and one-month follow-up (T1). Six HAPA constructs were measured at T0: Risk Perception, Outcome Expectancies, Recovery Self-Efficacy, Behavioral Intention, Coping Planning, and Action Control Efficacy. Smoking outcomes at T1 included cigarette dependence (CDS-12) and smoking status. Hierarchical linear regression showed that sociodemographic and clinical variables did not predict dependence, whereas adding HAPA constructs significantly improved prediction (ΔR² = 0.28, p < 0.001). Higher Risk Perception and Outcome Expectancies were associated with greater dependence, while logistic regression identified Action Control Efficacy as the only independent predictor of smoking cessation. These findings provide the first longitudinal evidence supporting the application of the HAPA framework to smoking cessation after cancer diagnosis and underscore the critical role of volitional processes in early cessation. Targeting action control may therefore enhance the effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions in oncology settings.

Colorectal and lung cancers are among the most common and deadly worldwide, often carrying significant stigma—especially when linked to preventable behaviors like drinking and smoking. Alcohol increases colorectal cancer risk, while smoking is the primary cause of lung cancer, leading to perceptions of self-infliction that can worsen distress, delay diagnosis, and hinder treatment. This study is the first to compare the acceptability of smoking versus drinking in cancer contexts. Using a factorial design, 132 community members and 126 healthcare professionals evaluated 72 scenarios varying by cancer type, behavior levels, diagnosis stage, post-diagnosis behavior, and activity level. Overall, drinking was viewed as more acceptable than smoking, especially among those physically active or who quit post-diagnosis. Healthcare professionals were slightly more accepting than the general public. Notably, stigma around smoking lessened at advanced cancer stages. Findings suggest the need for stigma-reducing interventions and more compassionate, nonjudgmental care in oncology settings.

Background: Studies have highlighted the negative impact of parental drinking on offspring, but the perception of drinking parents about their parenting role remains poorly explored. This study assessed the parental sense of competence among individuals with alcohol consumption and examined the relationship with parental guilt, burnout, and psychopathological symptoms.Participants and procedure: The sample was composed of 759 individuals who had at least one child aged below 18 living at home. Participants answered questionnaires measuring alcohol consumption, parental sense of competence, parental burnout and guilt, and psychopathological symptoms (anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD).Results: An analysis comparing participants having low/no alcohol consumption with those having higher consumption showed that parents of the latter group had lower scores of perceived parental competence, higher scores of parental guilt and burnout, and higher levels of anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms. A cluster analysis was performed in the subsample with higher alcohol consumption. This identified a cluster (“High”) with participants scoring well above the mean in psychopathology, while another cluster (“Low”) included individuals scoring below the mean. The “High” cluster, compared to the “Low” cluster, exhibited lower scores in sense of competence, higher burnout and guilt, and higher alcohol use, with large effect sizes.Conclusions: In conclusion, parents with higher alcohol consumption perceived themselves as less competent and experienced more significant mental health challenges. However, among those parents, cluster analysis identified one group with higher psychopathology and negative parenting experiences coexisting with another group having lower psychopathology and more positive parenting experiences, suggesting a contrasted typology in parents with higher alcohol consumption.

This study investigates the connection between psychological intimate partner violence (IPV) and love components in relationships, surveying 1,061 women. Using Sternberg's Triangular Love Scale, participants assessed Intimacy, Commitment, and Passion, revealing four clusters (“Moderate Love,” “No Love,” “Low Passion,” and “Mostly Passion”). ANCOVA (analysis of covariance) analysis, with age as covariate, highlighted significant differences in Intimacy, Commitment, and Passion among clusters, validating the classification. Surprisingly, the “Mostly Passion” cluster exhibited higher severe psychological aggression and specific controlling behaviors than the “Low Passion” group. These findings emphasize the intricate relationship between love components and psychological IPV, suggesting tailored interventions for healthier relationships and victim support.

Purpose Studies suggested that menopause is a period of vulnerability for disordered eating behaviors, but whether menopause could be linked to orthorexia nervosa (ON) remains unexplored. Methods A sample composed of 709 women aged between 30 and 71 years (mean age = 43.08 years, SD = 9.24) answered self-administered questionnaires assessing ON (Düsseldorfer Orthorexia Skala, DOS), body image, self-esteem, and psychopathological symptoms. The sample included a Premenopause group of 441 women reporting regular menses, a Perimenopause group of 94 women reporting the recent onset of amenorrhea or menstrual irregularities, and a Postmenopause group of 174 women reporting amenorrhea of natural onset for more than 12 months. Results Group comparison using analysis of covariance with age as covariate showed that ON scores were statistically higher in the two groups of participants dealing with menopause (Peri- and Postmenopause) when compared with women not yet concerned by menopause (Premenopause). A Kendall's tau-b correlation performed between the menopausal status (Pre, Peri, or Postmenopause) and DOS categories (No ON; At risk of ON; Presence of ON) showed a weak but statistically significant positive correlation between the menopausal group and DOS categories (tau-b = 0.136, p < 0.001). In addition, Fisher's exact tests indicated that the percentages of participants in the "At risk of ON" and "Presence of ON" categories were statistically higher in the Postmenopause group in comparison with the Premenopause group (p < 0.001). Depressive symptoms were statistically higher in the Peri- and Post-groups, while anxiety symptoms were stronger in the Peri-group when compared with the Pre-group. Conclusions This study shows an increase of ON in women concerned with menopause, suggesting the existence of a relationship between menopause and ON. Further studies are necessary to identify factors involved in this association. Level of evidence Descriptive (cross-sectional) study, level V.

Sex-specific manifestations of psychopathy remain highly debated both at the dimensional and structural levels. The network theory provides a promising framework for investigating this question. Thus, our study aimed to explore the network structure of psychopathy across sex. Participants were 1,990 college students (male: 43%, female: 57%) who received the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment-Short Form. We first estimated a Gaussian Graphical Model including the 18 Elemental Psychopathy Assessment-Short Form facets, separately for men and women. We then computed centrality indices (i.e., strength and expected influence) and predictability and finally conducted a bootstrapping procedure to assess the accuracy of edge weights and the stability of the centrality indices. The results of the network comparison test provide support for the stability of the network structure of psychopathic traits across sex. Self-Centeredness was the most central trait in the two networks, followed by Unconcern, Rashness, and Anger for women and by Callousness, Unconcern, and Rashness for men. Minor sex differences and future directions are discussed.