psychosis

Effective Group CBT for Social Anxiety in First-Episode Psychosis: Results of Randomized Controlled Trial

Background
Social anxiety (SA), a prevalent comorbid condition in psychotic disorders with a negative impact on functioning, requires adequate intervention relatively early. Using a randomized controlled trial, we tested the efficacy of a group cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention for SA (CBT-SA) that we developed for youth who experienced the first episode of psychosis (FEP). For our primary outcome, we hypothesized that compared to the active control of group cognitive remediation (CR), the CBT-SA group would show a reduction in SA that would be maintained at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. For secondary outcomes, it was hypothesized that the CBT-SA group would show a reduction of positive and negative symptoms and improvements in recovery and functioning.

Method
Ninety-six patients with an FEP and SA, recruited from five different FEP programs in the Montreal area, were randomized to 13 weekly group sessions of either CBT-SA or CR intervention.

Results
Linear mixed models revealed that multiple measures of SA significantly reduced over time, but with no significant group differences. Positive and negative symptoms, as well as functioning improved over time, with negative symptoms and functioning exhibiting a greater reduction in the CBT-SA group.

Conclusions
While SA decreased over time with both interventions, a positive effect of the CBT-SA intervention on measures of negative symptoms, functioning, and self-reported recovery at follow-up suggests that our intervention had a positive effect that extended beyond symptoms specific to SA.
ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02294409.

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New Study Reveals: Childhood Brain Morphometry Predicts Future Risk of Psychosis, Depression, and Anxiety

Background
Gray matter morphometry studies have lent seminal insights into the etiology of mental illness. Existing research has primarily focused on adults and then, typically on a single disorder. Examining brain characteristics in late childhood, when the brain is preparing to undergo significant adolescent reorganization and various forms of serious psychopathology are just first emerging, may allow for a unique and highly important perspective of overlapping and unique pathogenesis.

Methods
A total of 8645 youth were recruited as part of the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development study. Magnetic resonance imaging scans were collected, and psychotic-like experiences (PLEs), depressive, and anxiety symptoms were assessed three times over a 2-year period. Cortical thickness, surface area, and subcortical volume were used to predict baseline symptomatology and symptom progression over time.

Results
Some features could possibly signal common vulnerability, predicting progression across forms of psychopathology (e.g. superior frontal and middle temporal regions). However, there was a specific predictive value for emerging PLEs (lateral occipital and precentral thickness), anxiety (parietal thickness/area and cingulate), and depression (e.g. parahippocampal and inferior temporal).

Conclusion
Findings indicate common and distinct patterns of vulnerability for varying forms of psychopathology are present during late childhood, before the adolescent reorganization, and have direct relevance for informing novel conceptual models along with early prevention and intervention efforts.

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Get ready for the future of mental health research: Center for Global Mental Health Research Webinar Series 2023 – Finding the perfect treatment for the right people at the right time. Let’s promote stratification to boost Global Mental Health!

This webinar focuses on the value of stratification as a tool for driving transformative change in early interventions for people with anxiety, depression, and psychosis.

Get ready for the future of mental health research: Center for Global Mental Health Research Webinar Series 2023 – Finding the perfect treatment for the right people at the right time. Let’s promote stratification to boost Global Mental Health! Read More »

Genuine Recovery from Psychosis and Schizophrenia

Whether ‘full’ recovery from psychosis, including schizophrenia, is possible, depends on the definition of the latter. A biological predisposition for schizophrenia is thought to exist in many patients with schizophrenia, which cannot be cured. Mutations in certain genes can make it more likely that an individual will suffer from schizophrenia during his or her lifetime.

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Communication-Focused Therapy® (CFT) for Psychosis

Communication-Focused Therapy (CFT) for Psychosis Dr. Christian Jonathan Haverkampf, M.D. Communication-Focused Therapy (CFT) is a psychotherapy developed by the author, which can be applied to several mental health conditions, including psychosis. Meaningful communication is at the heart of understanding psychosis. When a patient can no longer distinguish whether the information comes from the inside or

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Schizophrenia and its symptoms

Schizophrenia is a form of psychosis, in which the clear distinction between one’s inner world of thoughts and emotions and perceptions about the outside world weakens or ceases to exist. This can lead to abnormal thoughts, beliefs and behaviours. One may, for example, hear a thought as a voice from the outside or have the

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Aripiprazole and Psychotherapy in the Treatment of Psychotic Bipolar Disorder

Aripiprazole in the Treatment of Psychotic Bipolar Disorder Dr Christian Jonathan Haverkampf, M.D. Patients can have bipolar and psychotic symptoms at the same time. Aripiprazole has showed effectiveness in both areas in stabilising mood and reducing psychotic symptoms. Many patients, however, continue to suffer in their everyday life at the workplace, in relationships, and socially

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Psychopharmacological Frontiers (1)

Psychopharmacological Frontiers Christian Jonathan Haverkampf, M.D. New developments in psychopharmacology have driven much of the progress over the last decades. This article discusses new developments in the area of antidepressants and antipsychotics. Keywords: depression, SSRI, SNRI, ketamine, glutamate antagonist, NMDA, scopolamine, magnesium, glutamine, CP-AMPA, serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, antidepressants, major depressive disorder, medication, treatment psychiatry Table

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