Clinical-High Risk for psychosis in adolescence: findings from the two-year follow-up of the ReARMS project.
Poster B1,
Andrea Raballo1, Lorenzo Pelizza2, Michele Poletti2, Silvia Azzali2, Federica Paterlini2, Ilaria Scazza2, Sara Garlassi2, Luigi Rocco Chiri3, Francesca Fontana2, Rosanna Favazzo2, Luana Pesieri2, Enrico Semrov2; 1Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway, 2Reggio Emilia Public Health Care Service, Reggio Emilia, Italy, 3Bologna Public Health Care Service, Bologna, Italy
The clinical significance and the prognostic value of Clinical High Risk (CHR) for psychosis while substantially corroborated in adults, remains less firmly established in early adolescents. This follow-up study, developed within the Reggio Emilia At Risk Mental States (ReARMS) project, is meant to contribute to the reduction of such lacuna, and has two main aims: (a) to characterize the clinical profile of help-seekers (stratified in non-CHR, CHR and First Episode Psychosis [FEP]) referred to child-adolescent mental health services; and (b) to monitor the cumulative transition rate from CHR to FEP in adolescents at the follow up of 12 and 24 months. 112 adolescents (aged 13–18 years) were assessed with the Comprehensive Assessment of At Risk Mental States (CAARMS) and the Schizophrenia Proneness Instrument, Child and Youth version (SPI-CY). 51 subjects met CHR criteria (45.5% of the sample) and 33 subjects met FEP criteria (29.5%) at baseline. The criterial transition rate from CHR to FEP was 4.9% over 12 months and 14.3% over 24 months; higher rates of cumulative transition were detected when also functional transition (indexed by the consensual introduction of antipsychotic medication by the treating clinical staff) was considered. The identification of CHR for psychosis in help-seeking adolescents is feasible and clinically relevant. Studies conducted in real-world, publicly funded components of the national health system, should take in consideration not only criterial, psychometric transition, but also functional equivalents of transition.
Topic Area: Epidemiology