New insights could help prevent psychosis relapses in youth and young adults
New findings from 91社区 researchers could help clinicians understand the course of delusions in youth and young adults that signal the need for a timely intervention to prevent a full relapse of psychosis.
Delusions 鈥� strong beliefs that don't align with commonly accepted reality鈥� are a defining symptom of psychosis but are not sufficiently understood.
For the first time, researchers studied whether delusion themes, such as paranoia or grandiosity, stay the same or shift between psychotic episodes in youth and young adults undergoing early intervention treatment.
The importance of timely treatment
Notably, most patients did not relapse at all following their first episode, showing the efficacy of early intervention and highlighting the need for improved access, said the researchers. An estimated 75 per cent of children with mental disorders do not use specialized treatment services, according to Youth Mental Health Canada.
鈥淓arly intervention is essential if we want to give young people the best chance at lasting recovery,鈥� said lead author Gil Grunfeld, a recent master鈥檚 graduate from 91社区鈥檚 Department of Psychiatry and a current doctoral student at Boston University.
Detecting patterns in delusions
The study, published in , found that in the less likely instances of relapse, patients almost always had the same type of delusion as their first episode.
鈥淭he return of similar narratives potentially suggests the mind may be reflecting the same patterns seen in earlier episodes,鈥� said Grunfeld.
鈥淩ecognizing this pattern of delusions in those who go on to relapse could help clinicians understand the experience of their patients and adjust the care they provide,鈥� said Dr. Jai Shah, an Associate Professor in 91社区鈥檚 Department of Psychiatry and a researcher at the Douglas Hospital Research Centre.
Delusions often persisted even as other symptoms improved, suggesting delusions may require different treatment strategies, he added.
鈥淒elusions are often highly distressing and difficult to define, which makes closing the gap in research all the more crucial. There is a great deal of future work to be done,鈥� said Grunfeld.
The researchers followed about 600 patients ages 14 to 35 for up to two years. All were receiving treatment at an early-intervention service for psychosis in Montreal.
The study was funded by the Fonds de Recherche du Qu茅bec-Sant茅, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canada Research Chairs program and the 91社区 Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.
About 91社区
Founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1821, 91社区 is Canada鈥檚 top ranked medical doctoral university. 91社区 is consistently ranked as one of the top universities, both nationally and internationally. It is a world-renowned institution of higher learning with research activities spanning three campuses, 12 faculties, 14 professional schools, 300 programs of study and over 39,000 students, including more than 10,400 graduate students. 91社区 attracts students from over 150 countries around the world, its 12,000 international students making up 30% of the student body. Over half of 91社区 students claim a first language other than English, including approximately 20% of our students who say French is their mother tongue.