Schizophrenia Research

Volume 148, Issues 1–3, August 2013, Pages 175-180

Psychiatric morbidity, functioning and quality of life in young people at clinical high risk for psychosis

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2013.05.026 Get rights and content

Open Access funded by Department of Health UK

Under a Creative Commons license

open access

Abstract

Objective

Recent studies suggest that psychotic-like experiences may also act as markers for non-psychotic psychiatric disorders, which may indicate that the focus of research in individuals at high risk (HR) for psychosis needs updating. In this study we thoroughly examined the clinical and functional characteristics of a consecutive cohort of young people at HR for psychosis and compared them to a matched sample of healthy volunteers.

Method

Between February 2010 and September 2012 60 help-seeking HR individuals, aged 16–35, were recruited from CAMEO Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, Cambridgeshire, UK. Forty-five age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers were randomly recruited from the same geographical area. Sociodemographic, psychiatric morbidity, functioning and quality of life measures were compared between both groups.

Results

HR individuals suffered a wide range of DSM-IV psychiatric disorders, mainly within the affective and anxiety diagnostic spectra. In comparison to healthy volunteers, young people at HR reported more suicidal ideation/intention, depressive and anxiety symptoms and presented with remarkably poor functioning and quality of life.

Conclusion

The presence of co-morbid moderate or severe depressive and anxiety symptoms was common in our sample of young people at enhanced risk for psychosis. A HR mental state may be associated not only with an increased risk for psychosis, but also other psychiatric disorders. Our findings may have implications for the future implementation of therapeutic interventions that this population could benefit from.

Abbreviations

BAI

Beck Anxiety Inventory

BDI-II

Beck Depression Inventory, Version II

BLIPS

Brief Limited Intermittent Psychotic Symptoms

CAARMS

Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk-Mental-States

FEP

First-Episode Psychosis

GAF

Global Assessment of Functioning

High Risk

MANSA

Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life

MINI

Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview

PAF

Postcode Address File

PANSS

Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale

YBOCS

Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms Scale

YMRS

Young Mania Rating Scale

Keywords

At-risk-mental-state

Early intervention

High-risk

Psychosis

Psychotic-like

Schizophrenia