A new study co-led by Associate Professor Christine Cleverly of the Lawrence Bloomberg School of Nursing has found evidence that psychotic spectrum symptoms (PSS) are more commonly present in young people using mental health services.
Profiles of the first 417 young people aged 11 to 24 who participated in the study showed that 50 per cent met the threshold for psychotic spectrum symptoms, which was higher than expected, Cleverley said. , this means that there are many children with these symptoms. Seek mental health services if you have symptoms.
Cleverley, who is also the CAMH Chair in Mental Health Nursing Research, said what's new about the study is that researchers are evaluating early indicators that may predict whether a person is at higher risk of developing a psychotic spectrum disorder. He said they are investigating whether he has a psychotic spectrum disorder. At this point, early intervention for the young person may be more effective.
Traditionally, early care for psychosis begins when severe psychotic symptoms appear, usually occurring in the late teens. Although current approaches to identifying children at risk of developing psychotic disorders are only about 5 percent effective, this study could indicate whether early intervention may be beneficial. You can begin to evaluate specific patterns and changes in function. ”
Christine Cleverley, Lawrence Bloomberg School of Nursing Associate Professor
Psychotic spectrum disorders can cause extreme disability and are associated with cognitive impairment, long-term disability, and higher rates of suicide mortality than other mental illnesses. Even without a diagnosis of mental illness, symptoms on the psychosis spectrum can have a serious impact on adolescents.
This study is one of three projects being conducted as part of the Toronto Youth and Youth (TAY) Cohort Study, which follows 1,500 young people over five years. The purpose of cohort studies is to assess the population of young people seeking mental health treatment, how their mental health symptoms and functioning change over time, and whether early predictors of psychosis spectrum disorders can be identified. is to understand more deeply.
This study was designed in collaboration with patients and caregivers, in addition to extensive collaboration with clinicians. A novel aspect of the TAY cohort study is that young people have access to a patient-facing dashboard of study results that is also integrated into the clinical record.
“We wanted to ensure that research was integrated into clinical programs so that research evaluations could be readily used in clinical practice, including to support decisions about interventions and services,” Cleverley says.
This longitudinal study included follow-ups every six months, allowing researchers to determine whether these youth's symptoms were chronic or temporary, and whether these changes were associated with developmental milestones or Be able to access information about environmental stressors or whether they are associated with changes in mental health services. .
“Our aim in this study was, in fact, to better characterize this population so that we could identify new strategies that complement existing strategies for early identification of young people at risk for psychosis. “That's what we do,” Cleverley said. “It also creates important opportunities for graduate students and researchers to develop sub-studies of this sample that will enable further research to improve mental health outcomes for young people.”
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Reference magazines:
Cleverley, K. other. (2023). The Toronto Adolescent and Young Adult Cohort Study: Study design and initial data related to psychosis spectrum symptoms, functioning, and suicidality. Biological psychiatry.Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging. doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2023.10.011.