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Journal of Child Psychology and... Jul 2023Psychotic symptoms, including hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking and behaviors, are the hallmarks of schizophrenia; but may also present in the context... (Review)
Review
Psychotic symptoms, including hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking and behaviors, are the hallmarks of schizophrenia; but may also present in the context of other psychiatric and medical conditions. Many children and adolescents describe psychotic-like experiences, which can be associated with other types of psychopathology and past experiences (e.g., trauma, substance use, and suicidality). However, most youth reporting such experiences do not have, nor will ever develop, schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder. Accurate assessment is critical because these different presentations have different diagnostic and treatment implications. For this review, we focus primarily on the diagnosis and treatment of early onset schizophrenia. In addition, we review the development of community-based first-episode psychosis programming, and the importance of early intervention and coordinated care.
Topics: Adolescent; Child; Humans; Psychotic Disorders; Schizophrenia; Hallucinations; Suicidal Ideation; Psychopathology; Delusions
PubMed: 36878476
DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13777 -
Molecular Psychiatry Aug 2023Most mental disorders have a typical onset between 12 and 25 years of age, highlighting the importance of this period for the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of... (Review)
Review
Most mental disorders have a typical onset between 12 and 25 years of age, highlighting the importance of this period for the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of mental ill-health. This perspective addresses interactions between risk and protective factors and brain development as key pillars accounting for the emergence of psychopathology in youth. Moreover, we propose that novel approaches towards early diagnosis and interventions are required that reflect the evolution of emerging psychopathology, the importance of novel service models, and knowledge exchange between science and practitioners. Taken together, we propose a transformative early intervention paradigm for research and clinical care that could significantly enhance mental health in young people and initiate a shift towards the prevention of severe mental disorders.
Topics: Humans; Adolescent; Mental Health; Mental Disorders; Psychopathology
PubMed: 37580524
DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02202-z -
Schizophrenia Bulletin Jul 2023Social determinants of health (SDoHs) are receiving growing attention and are particularly relevant to persons with schizophrenia-spectrum psychotic disorders (SSPDs),... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Social determinants of health (SDoHs) are receiving growing attention and are particularly relevant to persons with schizophrenia-spectrum psychotic disorders (SSPDs), considering their heightened risk of comorbidities, cognitive and functional decline, and early mortality. Yet, we did not find any comprehensive review of multiple SDoHs in SSPD.
STUDY DESIGN
We conducted a scoping review of meta-analyses and systematic reviews of nine major SDoHs in SSPD.
STUDY RESULTS
Childhood abuse, parental psychopathology, parental communication problems, bullying, and urban settings with lower socioeconomic status were major risk factors for the greater incidence of SSPD and/or worse health. Social network size was inversely associated with overall psychopathology and negative symptoms. Experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination correlated with the prevalence of psychotic symptoms and experiences. Compared to native populations, the risk of psychosis was higher in immigrants, refugees, and asylees. Social fragmentation was associated with an increased prevalence of schizophrenia. Homeless populations had a 30-fold higher prevalence of schizophrenia than the general population. Seriously mentally ill people were 2.7 times more likely to report food insecurity than controls. The prevalence of non-affective psychosis in prisoners was 2.0%-6.5%, compared to 0.3% in the general population. Certain potentially positive factors like family and community resilience remain poorly studied.
CONCLUSIONS
SDoHs are associated with higher rates of and worse outcomes in SSPD. Well-designed longitudinal studies are needed to understand SDoHs' contribution to health in persons with SSPD, to develop interventions, and to implement changes in clinical care and public health policies that would reduce adverse health impacts of SDoHs. Positive SDoHs deserve greater attention.
Topics: Humans; Child; Schizophrenia; Social Determinants of Health; Psychotic Disorders; Risk Factors; Psychopathology
PubMed: 37022779
DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbad023 -
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Sep 2023A fundamental shift in neuroscience suggests bidirectional interaction of gut microbiota with the healthy and dysfunctional brain. This microbiota-gut-brain axis has... (Review)
Review
A fundamental shift in neuroscience suggests bidirectional interaction of gut microbiota with the healthy and dysfunctional brain. This microbiota-gut-brain axis has mainly been investigated in stress-related psychopathology (e.g. depression, anxiety). The hippocampus, a key structure in both the healthy brain and psychopathologies, is implicated by work in rodents that suggests gut microbiota substantially impact hippocampal-dependent learning and memory. However, understanding microbiota-hippocampus mechanisms in health and disease, and translation to humans, is hampered by the absence of a coherent evaluative approach. We review the current knowledge regarding four main gut microbiota-hippocampus routes in rodents: through the vagus nerve; via the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal-axis; by metabolism of neuroactive substances; and through modulation of host inflammation. Next, we suggest an approach including testing (biomarkers of) the four routes as a function of the influence of gut microbiota (composition) on hippocampal-dependent (dys)functioning. We argue that such an approach is necessary to proceed from the current state of preclinical research to beneficial application in humans to optimise microbiota-based strategies to treat and enhance hippocampal-dependent memory (dys)functions.
Topics: Humans; Brain-Gut Axis; Brain; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Microbiota; Hippocampus
PubMed: 37380040
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105296 -
Clinical Psychology Review Dec 2023Coherence in the science and practice of mental health assessment depends upon a tight connection between psychopathology concepts that are used and the way those... (Review)
Review
Coherence in the science and practice of mental health assessment depends upon a tight connection between psychopathology concepts that are used and the way those concepts are operationalized and defined. In contrast, the use of the same word to mean more than one thing contributes to incoherence, inefficiency, and confusion. In this paper, we review three possible meanings of the word "dimension" as it relates to the assessment of psychopathology and describe how the indiscriminate use of this word has caused confusion in the general context of the transition to a more evidence-based approach to mental health diagnosis. We attempt to disambiguate the term "dimension" by demarcating three concepts that can be distinguished based on different empirical standards: continuous variables, unidimensional dimensions, and distinct dimensions.
Topics: Humans; Psychopathology; Mental Disorders
PubMed: 37926058
DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2023.102356 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2023
PubMed: 37457769
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1231283 -
Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland) Aug 2023Several studies have shown that the age of onset of psychopathology is decreasing, and that at least some clinical manifestations (e [...].
Several studies have shown that the age of onset of psychopathology is decreasing, and that at least some clinical manifestations (e [...].
PubMed: 37622811
DOI: 10.3390/bs13080671 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2024Explanatory models of the mind inform our working assumptions about mental illness with direct implications for clinical practice. Neurobiological models assert that the... (Review)
Review
Explanatory models of the mind inform our working assumptions about mental illness with direct implications for clinical practice. Neurobiological models assert that the mind can be understood in terms of genetics, chemistry, and neuronal circuits. Growing evidence suggests that clinical deployment of neurobiological models of illness may have unintended adverse effects on patient attitudes, public perception, provider empathy, and the effectiveness of psychiatric treatment. New approaches are needed to find a better language for describing (let alone explaining) the experience of mental illness. To address this gap, we draw upon interdisciplinary sources and semiotic theory to characterize the role of metaphor in the conceptualization and communication of psychopathology. We examine the metaphors recruited by contemporary neurobiological models and metaphor's role in facilitating descriptive clarity or evocative creativity, depending on intention and context. These multiple roles reveal the implications of metaphorical reasoning in clinical practice, including cognitive flexibility, personalized communication, and uncertainty tolerance. With this analysis, we propose a clinical approach that embraces the meta-process of ongoing novel metaphor generation and co-elaboration, or metaphors of psychopathology. Our goal is to bring attention to the value of employing ever-evolving, shapeable metaphorical depictions of psychiatric illness: metaphors that enable a capacity for change in individuals and society, reduce stigma, and nurture recovery.
PubMed: 38374980
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1320771 -
The International Journal of Social... Sep 2023Homeless people present high rates of psychopathology, including personality disorders. Given the link between personality disorders and attachment, and the potential... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Homeless people present high rates of psychopathology, including personality disorders. Given the link between personality disorders and attachment, and the potential importance of these two traits for understanding homeless populations.
AIMS
Our aim was to review all studies focusing on attachment and on the full assessment of personality disorders in the homeless.
METHOD
Overall, 213 studies were screened through title and abstract. Of these, 63 articles were chosen for full-text assessment.
RESULTS
A total of 14 articles met eligibility criteria and were included in the present review. Six studies evaluated personality disorders and eight studies assessed attachment in the homeless. In general, reports suggested that personality disorders are highly common in the homeless, with frequencies ranging between 64% and 79% for any personality disorder. The most common personality diagnoses were paranoid (14%-74%), borderline (6%-62%), avoidant (14%-63%), and antisocial (4%-57%) personality disorders. Attachment reports differed in the methods used and presented diverse results and correlates. Even so, insecure types of attachment dominated in the homeless, accounting for 62% to 100% of the samples.
CONCLUSIONS
The high prevalence of personality disorders and insecure types of attachment in the homeless may impact intervention strategies for these people. The available literature evaluating attachment and the full assessment of personality disorders in the homeless is scarce, which supports the need for more research on these two topics.
Topics: Humans; Personality Disorders; Psychopathology; Ill-Housed Persons; Prevalence; Personality; Borderline Personality Disorder
PubMed: 36951386
DOI: 10.1177/00207640231161201 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2023
PubMed: 37469886
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1242809