Although outpatient care within 30 days of mental health hospital discharge is an established quality indicator, little is known about the clinical implications of not receiving such care. This study evaluated whether receipt of outpatient care within 30 days of discharge was associated with a reduced risk of readmission during days 31–120 postdischarge among adult inpatients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Login at top right hand side of page using your SSSFT NHS Athens for full text.
Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and ecological momentary intervention (EMI) are technologies used to track fluctuations in experiences and prompt behavioral responses within the context of a person’s daily life. Most commonly delivered via smartphone, EMA and EMI have potential to provide simple, cost-effective, and user-led treatment for psychotic disorders. This systematic review aimed to synthesize current research exploring the feasibility, acceptability, and clinical outcomes of EMA and EMI in the treatment of psychotic disorders. Login at top right hand side of page using your SSSFT NHS Athens for full text.
Conclusions: Diagnosis appears to differentially impact on reconviction, readmission and mortality rates. Services could tailor pathways to prioritise symptom management and promoting healthy lifestyles for patients with MI, and reducing reoffending for patients with PD. Login using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details for full text.
Negative symptoms and cognitive impairments tend to co-occur in people with schizophrenia. If their association with each other is due, in part, to shared pathophysiology, then this suggests that a single drug could potentially be effective for both domains. The current study was designed to examine this hypothesis. SSSFT staff can use the OVID link, or you can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Deficits in N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) function contribute to symptoms and cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia and are associated with impaired generation of event-related potential measures including auditory mismatch negativity. Parallel studies of the NMDAR agonist D-serine have suggested that sensitivity of these measures to glutamate-based interventions is related to symptomatic and cognitive response. Bitopertin is a selective inhibitor of glycine transport. This study investigates effects of bitopertin on NMDAR-related event-related potential deficits in schizophrenia. SSSFT staff can use the OVID link, or you can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Novel treatment strategies for cognitive dysfunctions may prevent long-term disability in patients with schizophrenia, and polyphenolic compounds might be a promising strategy. Bergamot (Citrus bergamia), a citrus fruit characterized by a high amount of flavonoids and flavonoid glycosides, may represent a potential nutraceutical approach to cognitive dysfunction. The present study was aimed to explore the efficacy of bergamot polyphenolic fraction (BPF) supplementation on cognitive/executive functioning in a sample of patients with schizophrenia receiving second-generation antipsychotics. SSSFT staff can use the OVID link, or you can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Our primary objective was to identify cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) delivery for people with psychosis (CBTp) using an automated method in a large electronic health record database. We also examined what proportion of service users with a diagnosis of psychosis were recorded as having received CBTp within their episode of care.
Open Access Article
Comment. In The Lancet Psychiatry, Schoeler and colleagues present a study1 describing the mediating effect of medication adherence on the association between continued cannabis use and relapse risk in patients with first-episode psychosis. They have previously reported a relapse rate of 36% in this patient group over a 2-year period.2 Acknowledging the potential risk of psychosis relapse related to the high proportion of patients continuing cannabis use after the onset of psychosis, the current study1 investigates the same patient group consisting of 245 patients, obtaining retrospective data on active cannabis use and medication adherence shortly after illness onset, as well as risk of relapse at 2-year follow-up. The authors find that relapse of psychosis associated with continued cannabis use is partly mediated through non-adherence to prescribed antipsychotic medication. Please contact the library to request a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
Open access. Cannabis use following the onset of first-episode psychosis has been linked to both increased risk of relapse and non-adherence with antipsychotic medication. Whether poor outcome associated with cannabis use is mediated through an adverse effect of cannabis on medication adherence is unclear.
Despite clinical guidelines recommendations, many relatives of people with psychosis or bipolar disorder do not currently receive the support they need. Online information and support may offer a solution.
Open Access Article
This study aimed to determine whether the rate of clozapine use, an indicator of refractoriness in schizophrenia, is associated with the season of birth and age at onset in patients with schizophrenia based on nationwide data. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details.
Auditory Hallucinations may arise from people confusing their own inner speech with external spoken speech. People with visual hallucinations (VH) may similarly confuse vivid mental imagery with external events. This paper reports two experiments exploring confusion between internal and external visual material. Please contact the library to request a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
The Normalisation Process Theory (NPT) has been used to understand the implementation of physical health care interventions. The current study aims to apply the NPT model to a secondary mental health context, and test the model using exploratory factor analysis. This study will consider the implementation of a brief cognitive behaviour therapy for psychosis (CBTp) intervention.
Schizophrenia is a complex, heterogeneous disorder, with highly variable treatment outcomes, and relatively little is known about what is important to patients. The aim of the study was to understand treatment outcomes informal carers perceive to be important to people with schizophrenia.
Murtada Alsaif reports on a nationwide Swedish cohort study that explores the real-world effectiveness of oral and depot antipsychotics for schizophrenia.
Open access. The incidence of psychotic disorders is elevated in some minority ethnic populations. However, we know little about the outcome of psychoses in these populations.
Comment. Nobody can fail to appreciate the importance of providing the very best treatment for a person having his or her first episode of schizophrenia. For most people who are diagnosed as having schizophrenia, the first episode will be the start of lifelong drug treatment. Please contact the library to request a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
The first episode of schizophrenia is a pivotal phase of this debilitating illness. Which drug to use remains controversial without a summary of all direct or indirect comparisons of drugs. We did a systematic review with pairwise and network meta-analyses of efficacy and tolerability. Please contact the library to request a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
Open access. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is a rare but potentially fatal adverse event associated with the use of antipsychotics. Although atypical antipsychotics were initially considered to carry no risk of NMS, reports have accumulated over time implicating them in NMS causation. Almost all atypical antipsychotics have been reported to be associated with NMS. The clinical profile of NMS caused by certain atypical antipsychotics such as clozapine has been reported to be considerably different from the NMS produced by typical antipsychotics, with diaphoresis encountered more commonly, and rigidity and tremor encountered less frequently. This article briefly discusses the evidence relating to the occurrence, presentation and management of NMS induced by atypical antipsychotics.
This population-based study compares psychiatric hospital readmission in patients with severe affective disorders based on receipt of electroconvulsive therapy.....Please contact the library to request a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
Childhood trauma (CT) is associated with a range of psychopathologies, including psychosis. However, evidence on underlying mechanisms remains limited. The study aimed to investigate whether CT impacts on youth mental health by modifying sensitivity to stress in daily life. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details.
Kraepelin considered declining course a hallmark of schizophrenia, but others have suggested that outcomes usually stabilize or improve after treatment initiation. The authors investigated this question in an epidemiologically defined cohort with psychotic disorders followed for 20 years after first hospitalization. Login at top right hand side of page using your SSSFT NHS Athens for full text.
Mental health is a significant contributor to global burden of disease and the consequences of perinatal psychiatric morbidity can be substantial. We aimed to obtain global estimates of puerperal psychosis prevalence based on population-based samples and to understand how postpartum psychosis is assessed and captured among included studies.
Open access. Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) services have been implemented with the dual aims of preventing harmful outcomes associated with early-onset psychosis and improving prognosis. However, concerns have been raised regarding the ethical implications of involving young people in EIP services. One way to ensure high ethical standards and promote good practice in EIP delivery is through governance of clinical practice. This study aimed to investigate the normative dimensions of good practice in EIP through examination of clinical guideline documents published in England over the past 15 years.
Journal of Abnormal Psychology126.5 (Jul 2017): 694-711.
Motivational and hedonic impairments are core features of a variety of types of psychopathology. An important aspect of motivational function is reinforcement learning (RL), including implicit (i.e., outside of conscious awareness) and explicit (i.e., including explicit representations about potential reward associations) learning, as well as both positive reinforcement (learning about actions that lead to reward) and punishment (learning to avoid actions that lead to loss). Here we present data from paradigms designed to assess both positive and negative components of both implicit and explicit RL, examine performance on each of these tasks among individuals with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder with psychosis, and examine their relative relationships to specific symptom domains transdiagnostically. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
CBTp is recommended by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence for service users with psychosis at every stage of their illness, but provision of this intervention is not widespread. This narrative literature review critically appraised six primary studies, all of which view CBTp through the eyes of service users, revealing their perceptions of CBTp experiences and of their therapists. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
The objective of the study was to compare the predictive utility of three commonly used functioning measures for people with serious mental illness in the prediction of independent living status. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details.
Blood–brain barrier pathology is recognised as a central factor in the development of many neurological disorders, but much less is known about the role of the blood–brain barrier in psychiatric disorders. Please contact the library to request a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
The authors assessed the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of MIN-101, a compound with affinities for sigma-2 and 5-HT2A receptors and no direct dopamine affinities, in comparison with placebo in treating negative symptoms in stabilized patients with schizophrenia. Login at top right hand side of page using your SSSFT NHS Athens for full text.
Chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) is associated with a more than 20-fold increased risk for developing schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to identify additional genetic factors (i.e., “second hits”) that may contribute to schizophrenia expression. Login at top right hand side of page using your SSSFT NHS Athens for full text.
This study evaluated rates of all-cause mortality and self-harm in association with clozapine treatment in individuals with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Login at top right hand side of page using your SSSFT NHS Athens for full text.
Non-adherence is a major public health problem despite treatment advances. Poor drug adherence in patients with psychosis is associated with more frequent relapse, re-hospitalization, increased consumption of health services and poor outcomes on a variety of measures. Adherence rate in patients with first episode psychosis have been found to vary from 40 to 60%. However, most previous studies have addressed the consequences of non-adherence rather than its potential causes.
The purpose of this study was, therefore, to investigate experiential factors which may affect adherence to medication in adults with psychotic disorders, during the 24-month period after the onset of treatment.
Patients with Lewy body disease develop a variety of psychotic and misperception symptoms, including visual hallucinations and delusions, as well as ‘minor hallucinations’, that is, a sense of presence, passage hallucinations and visual illusions. Although these symptoms have been suggested to have common underlying mechanisms, the commonalities and differences among them have not been systematically investigated at the neural level. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
This study examined the effect of adjunctive telmisartan on psychopathology and cognition in olanzapine- or clozapine-treated patients with schizophrenia. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details.
The choice of antipsychotic treatment during pregnancy remains controversial, mainly due to a lack of exposure and outcome data. Randomized clinical trials are practically impossible due to ethical reasons. Our reports describe three cases of closely monitored female patients with schizophrenia who were treated with olanzapine during pregnancy. The novelty of reports is that all patients were previously treated with olanzapine long acting injectable (LAI) for an average period of 3.8 years. During the LAI treatment period they were in remission and then refused to continue with LAI mainly due to treatment modality (injectable administration).
Little is known about patients with a first episode of psychosis (FEP) who had first presented to prodromal services with an “at risk mental state” (ARMS) before making the transition to psychosis. We set out to identify the proportion of patients with a FEP who had first presented to prodromal services in the ARMS state, and to compare these FEP patients with FEP patients who did not have prior contact with prodromal services.
Schizophrenia is a chronic and debilitating neuropsychiatric disorder that often requires long-term pharmacotherapy to manage symptoms and prevent relapse. Cariprazine is a potent dopamine D3 and D2 receptor partial agonist that is FDA-approved in the US for the treatment of schizophrenia and manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder in adults; the recommended dose range is 1.5–6 mg/d.
The interaction of single nucleotide polymorphisms with both distal and proximal environmental factors across the extended psychosis phenotype is understudied. This study examined (i) the interaction of relevant SNPs with both early-life adversity and proximal (momentary) stress on psychotic experiences (PEs) in an extended psychosis sample; and (ii) differences between early-psychosis and non-clinical groups for these interactions. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details.
Formal thought disorder (FTD) is a core symptom in schizophrenia. Here, we focus on resting state cerebral blood flow (rCBF) linked to dimensions of FTD. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details.
With all the performers having either lived experience of psychosis or lived experience of caring for someone with psychosis, the festival aims to fight stigma, promote hope, offer easy accessible information, inspiration, help and support.
The only festival ever to be organized by a whole early intervention service in the UK, the event will feature live music and inspirational talks from service users as well as helpful information stalls about local mental health services. The festival will have food stalls, music and mindfulness workshops and an interactive sport stall run by Bristol Rovers Football Community Trust.
There has been a resurgence of interest in the role of childhood trauma in the aetiology of psychosis. In this review, recent findings on the association between childhood trauma and a continuum of psychotic symptoms are presented. Evidence of the association between specific childhood trauma subtypes and psychotic symptoms is examined, with a brief discussion of some current hypotheses about the potential mechanisms underlying the associations that have been found. Some practice implications of these findings are also highlighted. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details.
Coughlan & Cannon have provided an extremely useful review, highlighting the evidence for the association between childhood trauma and psychosis. This is relevant to those working with individuals with psychosis across all age ranges. This commentary discusses further some of the points raised, the complexity of the association and developmental aspects. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details.
Coughlan & Cannon’s article provides a helpful review of the current state of evidence regarding the connection between childhood trauma and psychotic-like symptoms. This commentary focuses on the clinical implications by noting that much of the data comes from studies in non-patient populations and to some extent depends on the underlying assumption of the continuum model of psychosis. I reconsider the presented data focusing purely on clinical diagnoses of psychosis, and consider the implications of the association between trauma and psychosis by looking at the evidence base for specific trauma-focused therapies in psychosis. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details.
We review thought disorder in psychopathology, including how one can assess it clinically, useful psychometric measures and its clinical importance. In the final section we discuss how recent studies in neuropsychology and neuroimaging have helped understand the mechanisms of abnormal speech and languages in psychotic illnesses. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details.
Limited evidence exists regarding fitness-to-drive for people with the mental health conditions of schizophrenia, stress/anxiety disorder, depression, personality disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder (herein simply referred to as ‘mental health conditions’). The aim of this paper was to systematically search and classify all published studies regarding driving for this population, and then critically appraise papers addressing assessment of fitness-to-drive where the focus was not on the impact of medication on driving.
For approximately one third of individuals treated for psychosis or schizophrenia, antipsychotic medications will have little or no therapeutic benefit. Clozapine remains the sole medication approved for treatment-resistant schizophrenia, and studies have demonstrated its superior efficacy in reducing psychotic symptoms. SSSFT staff can use the OVID link, or you can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Open access. Studies analyzing concentration-effect relationships in second-generation antipsychotics have reported contradictory results in chronic schizophrenia. No data are available for the early stages of the disease. The present study aims to evaluate the association between a single olanzapine plasma concentration, clinical response, and severity of adverse effects in first-episode psychosis (FEP); to test the utility of various plasma breakpoints as markers of early response to treatment; and to identify variables affecting olanzapine concentrations.
Combination antipsychotics (CAs) are prescribed in schizophrenia despite limited evidence of efficacy. To explore the effect of switching from CA to monotherapy, we performed an exploratory analysis of the PROACTIVE (Preventing Relapse in Schizophrenia: Oral Antipsychotics Compared with Injectables: Evaluating Efficacy) study data, in which 305 patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder were followed for 30 months after randomization to long-acting injectable (LAI) risperidone or second-generation oral antipsychotic (OA). SSSFT staff can use the OVID link, or you can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Second-generation antipsychotics increase the risk of diabetes and other metabolic conditions among individuals with schizophrenia. Although metabolic testing is recommended to reduce this risk, low testing rates have prompted concerns about negative health consequences and downstream medical costs. This study simulated the effect of increasing metabolic testing rates on ten-year prevalence rates of prediabetes and diabetes (diabetes conditions) and their associated health care costs. Login at top right hand side of page using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens for full text.
In first-episode psychosis there is a heightened risk of aggression and subsequent criminal justice involvement. This column reviews the evidence pointing to these heightened risks and highlights opportunities, using a sequential intercept model, for collaboration between mental health services and existing diversionary programs, particularly for patients whose behavior has already brought them to the attention of the criminal justice system. Coordinating efforts in these areas across criminal justice and clinical spheres can decrease the caseload burden on the criminal justice system and optimize clinical and legal outcomes for this population. Login at top right hand side of page using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens for full text.
Editorial. There is a debate about long-term treatment of schizophrenia with antipsychotic drugs, with some experts suggesting that these drugs should be discontinued. In this issue, Takeuchi et al demonstrated by a meta-analysis of 11 trials that antipsychotic drugs maintained their efficacy for relapse prevention for 1 year, whereas patients on placebo kept getting worse. We consider these findings in the light of the current discussion about possible dose-related brain volume loss, supersensitivity psychosis, the high variability of results in long-term follow-up studies and recent approaches to discontinue antipsychotics in patients with a first-episode. The new findings speak in favour of continuing antipsychotics at the same dose, at least in patients whose condition is chronic, but the topic is complex. SSSFT staff - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
In this editorial, we discuss a UK-based cohort study examining the mortality gap for people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder from 2000 to 2014. There have been concerted efforts to improve physical and mental healthcare for this population in recent decades. Have these initiatives reduced mortality and ‘closed the gap’? SSSFT staff - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
To compare total symptom trajectories for antipsychotic versus placebo treatment over a 1-year period of maintenance treatment in schizophrenia. SSSFT staff - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Patients with first-episode psychosis exposed to childhood trauma appear to constitute a distinctive subgroup in terms of diagnosis and lifetime substance use. SSSFT staff - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
The striatum receives segregated and integrative white matter tracts from the cortex facilitating information processing in the cortico-basal ganglia network. The authors examined both types of input tracts in the striatal associative loop in chronic schizophrenia patients and healthy control subjects. Login at top right hand side of page using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens for full text.
The Recovery After an Initial Schizophrenia Episode–Early Treatment Program compared NAVIGATE, a comprehensive program for first-episode psychosis, to clinician-choice community care over 2 years. Quality of life and psychotic and depressive symptom outcomes were found to be better with NAVIGATE. Compared with previous comprehensive first-episode psychosis interventions, NAVIGATE medication treatment included unique elements of detailed first-episode-specific psychotropic medication guidelines and a computerized decision support system to facilitate shared decision making regarding prescriptions. In the present study, the authors compared NAVIGATE and community care on the psychotropic medications prescribed, side effects experienced, metabolic outcomes, and scores on the Adherence Estimator scale, which assesses beliefs related to nonadherence. Login at top right hand side of page using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens for full text.
The second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) are associated with metabolic disturbances. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a rare, but potentially fatal sign of acute glucose metabolism dysregulation, which may be associated with the use of SGAs. This study aims to review published reports of patients with schizophrenia and antipsychotic drug–associated DKA, focusing on the effective management of both conditions. SSSFT staff can use the OVID link, or you can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Letter. SSSFT staff can use the OVID link, or you can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
There is consistent evidence that impulsivity is linked to tobacco consumption and to symptomatology in schizophrenia. In the current study, we propose a new integrative model of the relationship between impulsivity, psychopathological symptoms, and tobacco status in patients with paranoid schizophrenia. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details.
Childhood traumas have been extensively associated with the development of psychotic disorders. However, our understanding of processes underlying this relationship remains poor. In order to address this issue, we examined which specific aspects of childhood trauma are significantly associated with a first episode of psychosis. 109 patients with first episode of psychosis and 145 controls representative from general population were recruited in three centers in France. Please contact the library to request a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
ABSTRACT FROM: Lennox B, Palmer-Cooper E, Pollak T, et al. Prevalence and clinical characteristics of serum neuronal cell surface antibodies in first-episode psychosis: a case–control study. Lancet Psychiatry 2017;4:42–8.
What is already known on this topic?
Antineuronal antibody-mediated encephalitis frequently presents with prominent psychiatric features. It has been hypothesised that antineuronal antibodies may play a pathophysiological role in subgroups of patients with psychotic disorders. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details.
This cross-sectional study uses a large sample of patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls to determine the association of white matter with information Please contact the library to request a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
This study assesses homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance and stress hormone levels among drug-naive patients with first-episode schizophrenia. Please contact the library to request a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
Altered pain sensitivity may affect the outcome of appendicitis in patients with schizophrenia. We aimed to compare the prevalence of perforation in appendicitis between patients with and without schizophrenia.
Open Access Article
Elwira Lubos writes her debut blog on a recent systematic review of antipsychotics for the acute treatment of patients with first episode schizophrenia.
Joe Barnby and Muna Dubad explore a recent systematic review that looks at the potential predictors of adherence to digital interventions for psychosis.
This study examined the prevalence of cigarette smoking and the quantity of cigarettes consumed by individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and those without a psychiatric disorder in the period 1999–2016. Login at top right hand side of page using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens for full text.
Psychotherapy54.3 (Sep 2017): 245-251.
Incorporating behavioral activation into psychotherapy with persons with psychosis requires adaptation in its conceptualization and application owing to special deficits in the self-experience. Persons with psychosis often experience a diminished or disorganized sense of self, and have deficits in coherently narrating the experience of the self and in the ability to make sense of how to take action and direct their own lives. Based on a metacognitive model of disability in psychosis, the current paper presents a therapy process of a woman coping with schizophrenia using Metacognitive Reflection and Insight Therapy (Lysaker and Dimaggio, 2014). To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
European Psychologist22.2 (2017): 83-100.
Considering several etiologic, therapeutic, and comorbidity-related factors, a psychosis continuum model has been proposed for the understanding and treatment of psychotic disorders. Within the new emerging treatment approaches, Contextual Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies (CCBT) seem to hold promise for the psychosis continuum. However, considering their novelty for this specific population, the quality of efficacy evidence remains unclear. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal40.3 (Sep 2017): 266-275.
Objective: This purpose of this study was to describe and demonstrate CrossCheck, a multimodal data collection system designed to aid in continuous remote monitoring and identification of subjective and objective indicators of psychotic relapse. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Periodic catatonia has long been a challenging diagnosis and there are no absolute guidelines for treatment when precipitating factors are also unclear. We report a schizophrenia patient with periodic catatonia with a 15-year treatment course. A possible correlation between decreased daylight exposure and periodic attacks has been observed.
Editorial. In this issue, Falkenberg et al explore the practicability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as part of the initial clinical assessment in patients with first-episode psychosis and the prevalence, nature and clinical significance of radiological abnormalities in these patients. They provide evidence for the use of MRI data to detect gross brain abnormalities. In addition, improvements in quantitative analyses makes MRI an indispensable tool to elucidate the neurobiological substrates that might underlie primary (or idiopathic) psychotic illness. SSSFT staff - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Depression in schizophrenia predicts poor outcomes, including suicide, yet the effectiveness of antidepressants for its treatment remains uncertain. SSSFT staff - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
The evidence on factors that may influence treatment decisional capacity (‘capacity’) in psychosis has yet to be comprehensively synthesised, which limits the development of effective strategies to improve or support it. SSSFT staff - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
There is no consensus as to whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) should be used as part of the initial clinical evaluation of patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP). SSSFT staff - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Letter & author's reply. SSSFT staff - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Open access. To assess the patients' most influential concerns regarding long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) and mental health professionals' preconceptions about these concerns. For both groups, to assess the level of knowledge about LAIs. This cross-sectional study used semi-structured interviews of patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (n = 164), nurses (n = 43) and physicians (n = 20).
Therapeutic alliance is a key predictor of therapy outcomes. Alliance may be particularly pertinent for people with schizophrenia as this group often have a history of interpersonal trauma and relationship difficulties including difficult relationships with mental health staff. This review aimed to determine (a) the quality of therapeutic alliance between people with schizophrenia and their therapists; (b) whether alliance predicts therapeutic outcomes; and (c) variables associated with alliance. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details.
The aim was to quantify caregiver distress among informal caregivers of individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and identify its correlates. Login at top right hand side of page using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens for full text.
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology85.10 (Oct 2017): 937-949.
Objective: People dealing with serious mental illness frequently report turning to religion to help cope with the disorder. However, little is known about how religion impacts commitment to psychotherapy programs for people with schizophrenia and their caregivers. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
MicroRNAs are short, non-coding molecules that regulate gene expression. Here, we investigate the role of microRNAs in depression and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details.
The findings provide new insights into the common genetic basis underlying schizophrenia and cognitive function, suggesting novel molecular genetic mechanisms. Please contact the library to request a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
Neuropsychology31.7 (Oct 2017): 778-786.
Objective: Cognitive impairment is prevalent and related to functional outcome in schizophrenia, but a significant minority of the patient population overlaps with healthy controls on many performance measures, including declarative-verbal-memory tasks. In this study, we assessed the validity, clinical, and functional implications of normal-range (NR), verbal-declarative memory in schizophrenia. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.