People with psychosis face a life-restricting and life-shortening epidemic of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This can be predicted by the associated antecedent risk factors evident from early in psychosis, yet remain largely ignored. Greater coordination between primary care, secondary care and public health to systematically prevent and intervene earlier for these physical illnesses offers a realistic solution to reduce this health inequality. Library Services do not currently have access to this journal, but you can request a copy of the article online and we will try to get a copy to you: http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
Open access. Social networks of patients with psychosis can provide social support, and improve health and social outcomes, including quality of life. However, patients with psychosis often live rather isolated with very limited social networks. Evidence for interventions targeting symptoms or social skills, are largely unsuccessful at improving social networks indirectly. As an alternative, interventions may directly focus on expanding networks. In this systematic review, we assessed what interventions have previously been tested for this and to what extent they have been effective.
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'This year, we've had encouraging news about integrated, comprehensive approaches for treating people with first episode psychosis, most recently from a major NIMH initiative, the Recovery After an Initial Schizophrenia Episode, or RAISE project. RAISE looked at coordinated specialty care for first episode psychosis.'
'The study is undoubtedly of value in furthering our understanding of the brain structure of people who experience abnormal perceptions. However, further research is needed to investigate whether this is a risk factor or a consequence of the condition. As such, at present it has no preventative or therapeutic implications.'
The authors compared the effectiveness of initiating treatment with either clozapine or a standard antipsychotic among adults with evidence of treatment-resistant schizophrenia in routine clinical practice. Login using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens for full text. SSOTP - request a copy of the article from the library - www.sssft.nhs.uk/library
The question of whether there are significant changes in brain anatomy and function at illness onset and over the early course of schizophrenia is a crucial issue with broad implications for prognosis, patient care, and models of illness pathophysiology. Login using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens for full text. SSOTP - request a copy of the article from the library - www.sssft.nhs.uk/library
Although mortality related to psychotropic medications has received much attention in recent years, little is known about the relationship between risk of death and cumulative antipsychotic load, and even less about the relationship between mortality and cumulative exposure to antidepressants or benzodiazepines. The authors examined these relationships using nationwide databases. Login using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens for full text. SSOTP - request a copy of the article from the library - www.sssft.nhs.uk/library
Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) are core features of psychotic illness and remain significant in predicting poor outcome and risk. There has been a wide range of approaches to understanding these experiences.To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
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