Higher Levels Of Positive Symptoms Research Articles

Patient- and family-reported experiences of their treating teams in early psychosis services in Chennai, India and Montreal, Canada

BackgroundCross-cultural psychosis research has mostly focused on outcomes, rather than patient and family experiences. Therefore, our aim was to examine differences in patients’ and families’ experiences of their treating teams in early intervention services for psychosis in Chennai, India [low- and middle-income country] and Montreal, Canada [high-income country]. MethodsPatients (165 in Chennai, 128 in Montreal) and their families (135 in Chennai, 110 in Montreal) completed Show me you care, a patient- and family-reported experience measure, after Months 3, 12, and 24 in treatment. The measure assesses the extent to which patients and families view treating teams as being supportive. A linear mixed model with longitudinal data from patient and family dyads was used to test the effect of site (Chennai, Montreal), stakeholder (patient, family), and time on Show me you care scores. This was followed by separate linear mixed effect models for patients and families with age and gender, as well as symptom severity and functioning as time-varying covariates. ResultsAs hypothesized, Chennai patients and families reported more supportive behaviours from their treating teams (β=4.04; β= 9, respectively) than did Montreal patients (Intercept =49.6) and families (Intercept=42.45). Higher symptom severity over follow-up was associated with patients reporting lower supportive behaviours from treating teams. Higher levels of positive symptoms (but lower levels of negative symptoms) over follow-up were associated with families reporting lower supportive behaviours from treating teams. There was no effect of time, age, gender and functioning. ConclusionsThe levels to which treating teams are perceived as supportive may reflect culturally shaped attitudes (e.g., warmer attitudes towards healthcare providers in India vis-à-vis Canada) and actual differences in how supportive treating teams are, which too may be culturally shaped. Being expected to be more involved in treatment, Chennai families may receive more attention and support, which may further reinforce their involvement. Across contexts, those who improve over follow-up may see their treating teams more positively.

Attenuated negative symptoms in the structure of youth depression

To detect negative symptoms in adolescent depression, to determine their psychopathological structure and predictive significance. Seventy-one young in-patients (average age 19.5±2.4 years) (main group) and 52 in-patients (average age 19.8±2.7 years) (comparison group) with the diagnosis «Depressive episode» according to ICD-10 F32.1, F32.2 were examined. Inclusion criterion in the main group was attenuated negative symptoms (ANS) in adolescent depression. Clinical-psychopathological and psychometric examination was carried out using HDRS, SOPS, SANS. The statistical analysis was done by Statistica 12. Adolescent depression with ANS was more persistent than depression in the comparison group (27.5±17.2 month versus 7.0±6.3, p<0.001), there was higher level of positive symptoms and disorganization symptoms on the respective SOPS sub-scales (7 [5; 9] and 4.5 [3; 8.75], p=0.002; 8 [6; 10] and 5.5 [3.25; 7], p<0.001, respectively). According to the psychopathological structure of the negative symptoms, patients in the main group were divided into a subgroup (n=38, 53.5%) with the predominance of emotional spectrum disorders and a subgroup (n=33, 46.5%) with the predominant involvement of the volition spectrum. ANS in the negative SOPS sub-scale were significantly higher (p=0.045) in patients of the subgroup with volitional disorders. Also, a total HDRS score, reflecting the severity of depressive symptoms, was significantly higher compared to a subgroup with the predominance of emotional spectrum disorders (p=0.038). The results show that it is possible to clinically verify negative symptoms in the adolescent depression, which makes it possible to assign such patients to the risk group of manifestation of schizophrenia, and to assign depression with ANS to the model of the initial stage of schizophrenic process.

Schizophrenia Patients Show Largely Similar Salience Signaling Compared to Healthy Controls in an Observational Task Environment.

Recent evidence suggests that the aberrant signaling of salience is associated with psychotic illness. Salience, however, can take many forms in task environments. For example, salience may refer to any of the following: (1) the valence of an outcome, (2) outcomes that are unexpected, called reward prediction errors (PEs), or (3) cues associated with uncertain outcomes. Here, we measure brain responses to different forms of salience in the context of a passive PE-signaling task, testing whether patients with schizophrenia (SZ) showed aberrant signaling of particular types of salience. We acquired event-related MRI data from 29 SZ patients and 23 controls during the performance of a passive outcome prediction task. Across groups, we found that the anterior insula and posterior parietal cortices were activated to multiple different types of salience, including PE magnitude and heightened levels of uncertainty. However, BOLD activation to salient events was not significantly different between patients and controls in many regions, including the insula, posterior parietal cortices, and default mode network nodes. Such results suggest that deficiencies in salience processing in SZ may not result from an impaired ability to signal salience per se, but instead the ability to use such signals to guide future actions. Notably, no between-group differences were observed in BOLD signal changes associated with PE-signaling in the striatum. However, positive symptom severity was found to significantly correlate with the magnitudes of salience contrasts in default mode network nodes. Our results suggest that, in an observational environment, SZ patients may show an intact ability to activate striatal and cortical regions to rewarding and non-rewarding salient events. Furthermore, reduced deactivation of a hypothesized default mode network node for SZ participants with high levels of positive symptoms, following salient events, point to abnormalities in interactions of the salience network with other brain networks, and their potential importance to positive symptoms.

Investigating Predictors of Clozapine Response in Adolescents with Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder.

Objectives: We aimed to determine the clinical predictors of clozapine response in patients with early-onset schizophrenia (EOS)/schizoaffective disorder and the effect of substance use disorder (SUD) on treatment outcomes. Methods: Medical records of patients with treatment-resistant EOS receiving clozapine were identified for data analysis dated between January 2015 and April 2020. Patients on clozapine were followed in an inpatient unit of a tertiary care mental health hospital. Using the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS), ≥30% reduction was defined as the response criteria after clozapine treatment. Results: Of 50 subjects (age: 16.3 ± 1.3 years, 36.0% female), 22 subjects (44.0%) met the defined response criteria. Clozapine responder (CLZ-R) and clozapine nonresponder (CLZ-NR) groups were similar regarding age at illness onset, sex, and duration of untreated psychosis. The CLZ-R group had higher baseline positive PANSS scores (24.8 ± 8.1 vs. 17.1 ± 6.6, p = 0.001, d = 1.0) and total PANSS scores (94.8 ± 17.2 vs. 80.1 ± 19.8, p = 0.008, d = 0.8) compared with the CLZ-NR counterparts. The duration of hospital stay was longer in the CLZ-NR group (122.3 ± 48.2 vs. 87.3 ± 36.2 days, p = 0.007). Among 32 male patients, the presence of SUD (n = 9, 28.1%) was associated with a less reduction in total PANSS scores (F = 7.5, p = 0.010) and higher levels of positive symptoms at the end of the treatment (12.8 ± 4.1 vs. 18.8 ± 7.4, p = 0.006, d = 1.0). Synthetic cannabinoids were the most common substance type used among males with treatment-refractory EOS (25.0%). Conclusions: Our results did not support the role of sociodemographic variables in clozapine response. Positive symptoms and SUD yielded a prognostic value in patients receiving clozapine.

Familiarity for Serious Mental Illness in Help-Seeking Adolescents at Clinical High Risk of Psychosis.

Aim: Ultrahigh-risk (UHR) individuals have an increased vulnerability to psychosis because of accumulating environmental and/or genetic risk factors. Although original research examined established risk factors for psychosis in the UHR state, these findings are scarce and often contradictory. The aims of this study were (a) to investigate the prevalence of severe mental illness (SMI) in family members of distinct subgroups of adolescents identified through the UHR criteria [i.e., non-UHR vs. UHR vs. first-episode psychosis (FEP)] and (b) to examine any relevant associations of family vulnerability and genetic risk and functioning deterioration (GRFD) syndrome with clinical and psychopathological characteristics in the UHR group.Methods: Adolescents (n = 147) completed an ad hoc sociodemographic/clinical schedule and the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States to investigate the clinical status.Results: More than 60% UHR patients had a family history of SMI, and approximately a third of them had at least a first-degree relative with psychosis or other SMI. A GRFD syndrome was detected in ~35% of UHR adolescents. GRFD adolescents showed baseline high levels of positive symptoms (especially non-bizarre ideas) and emotional disturbances (specifically, observed inappropriate affect).Conclusions: Our results confirm the importance of genetic and/or within-family risk factors in UHR adolescents, suggesting the crucial need of their early detection, also within the network of general practitioners, general hospitals, and the other community agencies (e.g., social services and school).

29.3 TOPOLOGICAL ANALYSIS ENABLES PREDICTION OF FUNCTIONAL AND SOCIAL OUTCOMES IN EARLY PSYCHOSIS

Abstract Background Predicting functional outcome is a major challenge in service care of early psychosis patients (EPP). We investigated clinical and metabolic features that enable objective assessment of the risk of poor functional outcomes in early psychosis patients (EPP), using state-of-the-art topological data analysis (TDA). The guiding philosophy of TDA is that the shape of large data sets, encoded by a mathematical signature, should reveal important relations among the data points. Our primary TDA tool is Mapper, which provides unsupervised multivariate pattern analysis of high-dimensional data, producing a compressed visual representation of the data giving a strong indication of where to look for meaningful clustering. Application of Mapper has already led to a number of remarkable results, including the identification of a new subtype of breast cancer and of two phenotypically distinct types of fragile X syndrome. Methods Recruitment: 101 EPP with informed consent were recruited from the Lausanne “Treatment and early Intervention in Psychosis Program”. They had reached the psychosis threshold on the CAARMS scale. Patients were assessed at entrance of the program by PANSS and MADRS, functioning by SOFAS and GAF scales. After 3 years of clinical follow-up, EPP were evaluated for symptoms levels, social and occupational functioning. Metabolomics: Plasma extracts at the program begin were analyzed by liquid-chromatography-mass spectrometry. Features data (m/z, retention time, integrated ion intensity) were extracted using xMSanalyser v1.3.5 with apLCMS v5.9.4. Mapper: Using the Mapper algorithm, we built a topological map representing the EP cohort through the lens of the PANSS scores at baseline. The mapper algorithm captures the shape of high dimensional data through a graph. Nodes represent patients or groups of patients. Edges between nodes represent shared patients. Results Three distinct clusters of patients could be identified: Group A, characterized by low levels of negative (N2) and depression symptoms (G6); group B, characterized by high levels of positive symptoms (P1, 6) having the worst outcome; and group C with high levels of negative (N2) and depression symptoms. Comparison of the groups after 3-years of clinical follow-up showed that group A displayed significantly better social and occupational functioning. The same grouping and predictions were confirmed in a second independent cohort of EPP. Inclusion of the metabolomics data revealed that group A had a distinct profile, which may serve as predictor of functional outcome in EEP. Conclusions These novel findings suggest that topological analysis of a combination of symptoms and blood metabolic profile might contribute to the prediction of functional outcome at early stages of psychosis.

The effect of positive symptoms on social cognition in first-episode schizophrenia is modified by the presence of negative symptoms.

There is considerable evidence that patients with schizophrenia have neurocognitive and social-cognitive deficits. It is unclear how such deficits in first-episode schizophrenia relate to current clinical symptoms. Fifty-nine patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES) were tested using the Danish version of NART (premorbid IQ), subtests from WAIS-III (current IQ), and global cognition using Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrena (BACS), a neurocognitive test battery. Social perception was tested using film clips of everyday interactions (TASIT). Theory of mind (ToM) was tested using silent animations (Animated Triangles Task). The FES subjects had been experiencing psychotic symptoms for several years (mean duration 9.5 years 95% confidence interval (CI [7.6;11.3]). The FES patients were divided into clinical subgroups based on their level of positive and negative symptoms (using SANS and SAPS). Healthy controls were matched to the patients. High levels of negative symptoms were associated with low estimated functional IQ and poor neurocognition and social cognition. All SANS subscales, but Avolition-Apathy, had significant negative impact on social cognition. The effects of positive symptoms were complex. High levels of delusions were associated with higher premorbid IQ. In the presence of high levels of negative symptoms, high levels of positive symptoms were associated with the most comprehensive deficits in social perception, while, in the absence of negative symptoms, high levels of positive symptoms were not associated with such deficits. The results suggest that social-cognitive training will need to take account of the above mentioned effects of symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record

Experiences of stigma and discrimination faced by family caregivers of people with schizophrenia in India

Stigma associated with schizophrenia significantly affects family caregivers, yet few studies have examined the nature and determinants of family stigma and its relationship to their knowledge about the condition. This paper describes the experiences and determinants of stigma reported by the primary caregivers of people living with schizophrenia (PLS) in India. The study used mixed methods and was nested in a randomised controlled trial of community care for people with schizophrenia. Between November 2009 and October 2010, data on caregiver stigma and functional outcomes were collected from a sample of 282 PLS–caregiver dyads. In addition, 36 in-depth-interviews were conducted with caregivers. Quantitative findings indicate that ‘high caregiver stigma’ was reported by a significant minority of caregivers (21%) and that many felt uncomfortable to disclose their family member's condition (45%). Caregiver stigma was independently associated with higher levels of positive symptoms of schizophrenia, higher levels of disability, younger PLS age, household education at secondary school level and research site. Knowledge about schizophrenia was not associated with caregiver stigma. Qualitative data illustrate the various ways in which stigma affected the lives of family caregivers and reveal relevant links between caregiver-stigma related themes (‘others finding out’, ‘negative reactions’ and ‘negative feelings and views about the self’) and other themes in the data.Findings highlight the need for interventions that address both the needs of PLS and their family caregivers. Qualitative data also illustrate the complexities surrounding the relationship between knowledge and stigma and suggest that providing ‘knowledge about schizophrenia’ may influence the process of stigmatisation in both positive and negative ways. We posit that educational interventions need to consider context-specific factors when choosing anti-stigma-messages to be conveyed. Our findings suggest that messages such as ‘recovery is possible’ and ‘no-one is to blame’ may be more helpful than focusing on bio-medical knowledge alone.

The relationship between self-reported childhood adversities, adulthood psychopathology and psychological stress markers in patients with schizophrenia

BackgroundChildhood adversity is a well-established risk factor for the development of schizophrenia. In particular, there is evidence that childhood adversity increases the occurrence of positive symptoms, possibly through glucocorticoid influences on dopaminergic neurotransmission. AimsTo compare levels of childhood trauma in schizophrenia patients vs. healthy control persons, and to study the association between childhood adversity and the symptomatology of adulthood schizophrenia, as well as subjective and biological markers of psychological stress. MethodsThirty-seven patients fulfilling ICD-10 criteria for schizophrenia and 39 healthy control persons filled out the comprehensive Childhood Abuse and Trauma Scale (CATS). Data were analyzed after a data-driven dichotomization into two groups of either high or low CATS score in patients and controls, respectively. The psychopathology of the patients was measured by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and analyzed by a five-factor PANSS model. Measures of perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis activity (9AM plasma cortisol and daytime salivary cortisol output) were recorded. ResultsAs expected, patients had significantly higher total CATS scores than the control persons (>3-fold, P<0.001), reflecting significantly higher scores across all subscales of the CATS. In patients, the total PANSS score did not significantly differ between the high and the low CATS score group (P=0.2). However, there was a statistically significant higher level of positive symptoms in the high CATS group (P=0.014), and no difference in other psychopathological domains. Correspondingly, when using the CATS score as a continuous variable, a strong association with positive PANSS scores was found (P=0.009). The high CATS score group showed higher levels of perceived stress (P=0.02), but there was no difference between the high vs. low CATS group in HPA-axis activity. ConclusionAlthough causal inferences cannot be made from this cross-sectional study, the study adds support to the suggestion that childhood adversity specifically increases the occurrence of positive symptoms in adulthood schizophrenia in a manner that appears to leave HPA-axis activity unaltered.

Psychopathology, psychopharmacological properties, decision-making capacity to consent to clinical research and the willingness to participate among long-term hospitalized patients with schizophrenia

Many studies discuss factors related to the decision-making capacity to consent to clinical research (DMC) of patients with schizophrenia. However, these studies rarely approached willingness to participate and the association between psychopharmacological properties (e.g., antipsychotic-induced side effects) and DMC. This study aimed to explore factors related to DMC and willingness to participate in patients with schizophrenia. All 139 patients with schizophrenia were assessed with the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool for Clinical Research (MacCAT-CR) and other measures. A linear regression model was used to find the predictors of MacCAT-CR scores. A logistic regression model was used for exploring the predictors of willingness to participate. Patients with more severe negative symptoms performed poorly in DMC outcomes. In addition, females, those with fewer years of education and reduced cognitive function are more likely to experience difficulties in decision-making. Forty-three subjects (30.4%) chose to participate. Patients with higher level of positive symptoms, longer length of stay, higher burden of anticholinergics and users of atypical antipsychotics were more likely to participate in a clinical study which aimed to “enhance cognition”. These finding suggest that research investigators should consider many variables for patients who require more intensive screening for impaired DMC.

Impact of childhood adversities on the short-term course of illness in psychotic spectrum disorders

Accumulating evidence indicates an impact of childhood adversities on the severity and course of mental disorders, whereas this impact on psychotic disorders remains to be specified. Effects of childhood adversities on comorbidity, on symptom severity of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and global functioning across four months (upon admission, 1 and 4 months after initial assessment), as well as the course of illness (measured by the remission rate, number of re-hospitalizations and dropout rate) were evaluated in 62 inpatients with psychotic spectrum disorders. Adverse experiences (of at least 1 type) were reported by 73% of patients. Patients with higher overall level of childhood adversities (n=33) exhibited more co-morbid disorders, especially alcohol/substance abuse and dependency, and higher dropout rates than patients with a lower levels of adverse experiences (n=29), together with higher levels of positive symptoms and symptoms of excitement and disorganization. Emotional and physical neglect were particularly related to symptom severity. Results suggest that psychological stress in childhood affects the symptom severity and, additionally, a more unfavorable course of disorder in patients diagnosed with psychoses. This impact calls for its consideration in diagnostic assessment and psychiatric care.

Neural correlates of aberrant emotional salience predict psychotic symptoms and global functioning in high-risk and first-episode psychosis.

Neurobiological and behavioral findings suggest that psychosis is associated with corticolimbic hyperactivity during the processing of emotional salience. This has not been widely studied in the early stages of psychosis, and the impact of these abnormalities on psychotic symptoms and global functioning is unknown. We sought to address this issue in 18 patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP), 18 individuals at ultra high risk of psychosis (UHR) and 22 healthy controls (HCs). Corticolimbic response and subjective ratings to emotional and neutral scenes were measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging. The clinical and functional impact of corticolimbic abnormalities was assessed with regression analyses. The FEP and UHR groups reported increased subjective emotional arousal to neutral scenes compared with HCs. Across groups, emotional vs neutral scenes elicited activation in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, inferior frontal gyrus/anterior insula and amygdala. Although FEP and UHR participants showed reduced activation in these regions when viewing emotional scenes compared with controls, this was driven by increased activation to neutral scenes. Corticolimbic hyperactivity to neutral scenes predicted higher levels of positive symptoms and poorer levels of functioning. These results indicate that disruption of emotional brain systems may represent an important biological substrate for the pathophysiology of early psychosis and UHR states.

Experiences of stigma and discrimination of people with schizophrenia in India

Stigma contributes greatly to the burden of schizophrenia and is a major obstacle to recovery, yet, little is known about the subjective experiences of those directly affected in low and middle income countries. This paper aims to describe the experiences of stigma and discrimination of people living with schizophrenia (PLS) in three sites in India and to identify factors influencing negative discrimination.The study used mixed methods and was nested in a randomised controlled trial of community care for schizophrenia. Between November 2009 and October 2010, data on four aspects of stigma experienced by PLS and several clinical variables were collected from 282 PLS and 282 caregivers and analysed using multivariate regression. In addition, in-depth-interviews with PLS and caregivers (36 each) were carried out and analysed using thematic analysis.Quantitative findings indicate that experiences of negative discrimination were reported less commonly (42%) than more internalised forms of stigma experience such as a sense of alienation (79%) and significantly less often than in studies carried out elsewhere. Experiences of negative discrimination were independently predicted by higher levels of positive symptoms of schizophrenia, lower levels of negative symptoms of schizophrenia, higher caregiver knowledge about symptomatology, lower PLS age and not having a source of drinking water in the home. Qualitative findings illustrate the major impact of stigma on ‘what matters most’ in the lives of PLS and highlight three key domains influencing the themes of 'negative reactions' and ‘negative views and feelings about the self’, i.e., ‘others finding out’, ‘behaviours and manifestations of the illness’ and ‘reduced ability to meet role expectations’.Findings have implications for conceptualising and measuring stigma and add to the rationale for enhancing psycho-social interventions to support those facing discrimination. Findings also highlight the importance of addressing public stigma and achieving higher level social and political structural change.

Positive symptoms in first-episode psychosis patients experiencing low maternal care and stressful life events: a pilot study to explore the role of the COMT gene

COMT Val158Met moderates the effect of stress on psychotic symptoms. Exposure to stress is also associated with mesolimbic dopamine release in individuals experiencing low maternal care. We therefore test the hypothesis that recent stressful life events are associated with more severe positive symptoms (associated with mesolimbic dopamine release) in first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients who experienced low maternal care during childhood. We hypothesized that COMT Val158Met moderates this association. A total of 149 FEP patients recruited within the Psychosis Incident Cohort Outcome Study (PICOS) participated in the present study. Maternal care was assessed by the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), stressful life events were collected by the List of Events Scale and positive symptoms were assessed by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). We found that low maternal care and recent stressful life events were associated with higher level of positive symptoms at the onset (analysis of variance [ANOVA], p = 0.012), and that patients who were also homozygotes for the COMT Val158 allele had the highest level of positive symptoms (ANOVA, p = 0.024). Low maternal care and severe stressful life events may contribute to a symptomatology characterized by more severe positive symptoms at the onset, possibly due to an increased mesolimbic dopamine release. Homozygosity for the COMT Val158 allele seems to confer a biological predisposition to the stress-related hyperactivity of the mesolimbic dopaminergic system. The data imply that the mesolimbic dopaminergic system is involved in the mediation/modulation of the effect of stressful events on the vulnerability for psychosis.

Relationship of caregiver burden with coping strategies, social support, psychological morbidity, and quality of life in the caregivers of schizophrenia

AimTo evaluate the relationship of caregiver burden as assessed by using Hindi Involvement Evaluation Questionnaire (IEQ) with coping strategies, social support, psychological morbidity, and quality of life of caregivers of patients with schizophrenia. Additionally, the relationship of caregiver-burden with sociodemographic variables, and clinical variables, including severity of psychopathology and level of functioning of patients, was studied. MethodologyThe study included 100 patients with schizophrenia and their caregivers recruited by purposive random sampling. ResultsAmong the four domains of IEQ, highest number of correlations emerged with tension domain. Tension domain had positive correlation with the caregiver being single, time spent in caregiving per day, and use of avoidance, collusion, and coercion as coping strategies. Additionally, tension domain was associated with poor quality of life in all the domains of WHO-QOL Bref and was associated with higher psychological morbidity. Worrying urging-I domain of IEQ correlated with frequency of visits, higher use of problem focused coping and poor physical health as per the WHO-QOL Bref. Worrying urging-II domain of IEQ had positive correlation with higher level of positive symptoms, lower level of functioning of the patient, younger age of caregiver, caregiver being unmarried, and higher use problem focused and seeking social support as coping strategies. Supervision domain of IEQ correlated positively with lower income, being an unmarried caregiver, from an urban locality and non-nuclear family. Supervision domain was associated with poor physical health as assessed by WHO-QOL Bref. ConclusionCaregiving burden, especially tension is associated with use of maladaptive coping strategies, poor quality of life and higher level of psychological morbidity in caregivers.

The impact of cannabis use on age of onset and clinical characteristics in first-episode psychotic patients. Data from the Psychosis Incident Cohort Outcome Study (PICOS)

Cannabis use is frequent among first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients and has been associated with several clinical features. This study aimed in an FEP sample to determine whether cannabis use is associated with 1) a higher level of positive symptoms, a lower level of depression and a better premorbid adjustment, 2) an earlier age of onset, and a better premorbid IQ.The study was conducted within the framework of the Psychosis Incident Cohort Outcome Study (PICOS), a multisite collaborative research on FEP patients who attended the psychiatric services in Veneto Region, Italy. Standardized instruments were used to collect sociodemographic, clinical, and drug use data.A total of 555 FEP patients met the inclusion criteria, 517 of whom received an ICD-10 diagnosis of psychosis; 397 (55% males; mean age: 32yrs ± 9.5) were assessed. Out of these, 311 patients agreed to be interviewed on drug and alcohol misuse; 20.3% was positive for drug misuse: cannabis (19.0%), cocaine (3.9%), and hallucinogens (3.9%). Cannabis use was not associated with a higher level of positive symptoms, but correlated with less severe depressive symptoms. No relationship was observed between premorbid adjustment or IQ and cannabis use. FEP patients who used cannabis had an earlier age of onset than abstinent patients, even after adjusting for gender and diagnosis.Our results suggest a possible causal role of cannabis in triggering psychosis in certain vulnerable subjects. Particular attention must be paid to this behaviour, because reducing cannabis use can delay or prevent some cases of psychosis.

Increased stress reactivity: a mechanism specifically associated with the positive symptoms of psychotic disorder

An increased reactivity to stress in the context of daily life is suggested to be an independent risk factor underlying the positive symptoms of psychotic disorder. The aim of this study was to investigate whether positive symptoms moderate the association between everyday stressful events and negative affect (NA), known as stress reactivity. This hypothesis was put to the test in patients with a diagnosis of psychotic disorder. Method The Comprehensive Assessment of Symptoms and History (CASH) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) were used to assess positive and negative symptoms. The experience sampling method (ESM), a structured diary technique, was used to measure stress reactivity and psychotic symptoms in daily life. Higher levels of positive symptoms (CASH: B=0.14, p=0.005; PANSS: B=0.05, p=0.000; ESM: B=0.03, p=0.000) and lower levels of negative symptoms (PANSS: B=-0.05, p=0.001) significantly moderate the association between unpleasant events and NA. No significant moderating effect was found for CASH negative symptoms. Moreover, the moderating effect of lifetime and current symptoms on the stress-NA association was significantly larger for those patients with predominantly positive symptoms (CASH: B=0.09, p=0.000; PANSS: B=0.08, p=0.000; ESM: B=0.13, p=0.000). Patients with a 'psychotic syndrome' with high levels of positive symptoms and low levels of negative symptoms show increased reactivity to stress in daily life, indicating that stress reactivity is a possible risk factor underlying this syndrome.

Group cognitive behavioural therapy for first episode psychosis: who's referred, who attends and who completes it?

Most national guidelines recommend psychological therapy for people with first-episode psychosis (FEP) but interventions proven effective in randomized control trials (RCTs) conducted in research settings do not always translate effectively to real-world clinical environments. In a limited health system, it is important to understand the system and patient barriers to participation in effective treatment. We sought to determine what patient characteristics influenced clinicians' decision to refer or not to refer to group cognitive behavioural therapy for FEP and what characteristics were associated with those referred attending/not attending and adhering/not adhering to the programme. Between 2006 and 2008, all cases of confirmed FEP from a defined geographical region were examined using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR Axis I Disorders for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) diagnoses, the Scale for Assessment of Positive Symptoms, Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms, Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia and Birchwood Insight Scale. Duration of untreated psychosis was established using the Beiser Scale. Of the 124 (77 males, 47 females) people in the final sample, 88 (72%) were referred for cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), 52 (59%) attended and 12 (23%) did not complete CBT. Those with higher levels of insight into the need for treatment (U = 740.00, z = -2.63, P = 0.008) and higher levels of positive symptoms (t (120) = -3.064, P = 0.003) were more likely to be referred to CBT. Those with higher educational attainment (χ(2) = 9.48, P = 0.03) and fewer negative symptoms, particularly in relation to global attention (t (85) = 2.32, P = 0.03), were more likely to attend and complete CBT. Within an early intervention service for FEP, it appears that individuals with less education, more negative symptoms and less insight experienced significant barriers to successfully completing group CBT. More information for referring clinicians about the benefits of CBT for FEP could help increase referral rates. Assertive outreach for people at risk of disengaging or non-adherence should also be considered.

Focusing on the adult attachment style in schizophrenia in community mental health centres: Validation of the Psychosis Attachment Measure (PAM) in a German-speaking sample

Assessing attachment style in people with schizophrenia may be important to identify a risk factor in building a strong therapeutic relationship and so indirectly to understand the development of mal-compliance as one of the major obstacles in the treatment of schizophrenia. The present study analysed the psychometric properties of the German version of the Psychosis Attachment Measure (PAM), which assesses avoidant and anxious attachment style. A sample of 127 patients suffering from chronic schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder participated in this study. In testing discriminant validity, we assessed psychopathology, depression, therapeutic relationship and service engagement. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability and factor structure were analysed. The German version of PAM exhibited acceptable to good internal and test-retest reliabilities and the two-factor structure of the English version could be replicated. Avoidant attachment style was related to higher levels of positive symptoms and to a poorer therapeutic relationship. In the context of external validation, a regression analysis revealed that a poor therapeutic relationship correlated with avoidant attachment style, independent of anxious attachment style and depressive symptoms. Anxious attachment was associated with higher treatment adherence. Both insecure attachment styles (avoidant and anxious) were found to be correlated with higher levels of depression, but only attachment anxiety had an independent predictive value for self-reported depression in regression analysis. The German version of PAM displayed satisfactory psychometric properties and seems to be a reliable measure for assessing attachment style in individuals with schizophrenia. Validation of PAM led to the finding that only the avoidant attachment style might be a risk factor when building a strong therapeutic relationship in schizophrenia. In future studies, other factors influencing therapeutic relationship should be taken into account. Anxious attachment style may be a risk factor for depression, but it also has an enhancing effect on treatment adherence.

P01-523 - Coercive measures in italian inpatient units: results from eunomia study

IntroductionThe use of coercive measures in clinical practice represents a common, but understudied problem in Europe. In 2002–2005, the European Commission funded the study “European Evaluation of coercion in psychiatry and harmonization of best clinical practice” (EUNOMIA), coordinated by the Department of Psychiatry of the University of Dresden and carried out in 12 European countries.ObjectivesThis study, carried out on the Italian EUNOMIA sample, aims to:1)assess the use of coercive measures in five Italian mental health inpatient units;2)identify the patients’ socio-demographic and clinical characteristics associated with the use of coercive measures;3)investigate the effect of coercive measures on the outcome of the patients.MethodsThe Italian sample included 294 admitted patients. Data were collected on coercive measures (physical restraint, seclusion and forced medication)ResultsAlmost 30% of the patients received coercive measures during their hospitalization; in particular, 22% received forced medication, 9% were restrained or fixed by mechanic devices, 7% were seclused. The most frequent reason for prescribing coercive measures was aggression against others. Patients who received coercive measures were more frequently male, with higher BPRS scores and a worse social functioning. At three months after discharge, they showed higher levels of positive symptoms, and reported more negative opinions on the need of hospital admission and on the appropriateness of psychiatric treatments.ConclusionsIn Italy coercive measures are in most of the cases applied to the patients affected by more severe psychopathology and disability.