Publications by authors named "F Dickerson"

Objective: Tobacco smoking is the leading cause of preventable death among individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) but few persons with SMI are offered smoking cessation treatment. The purpose of this study was to pilot-test a multicomponent intervention to increase the delivery of evidence-based smoking cessation treatment in community mental health clinics (CMHCs).

Method: This study was carried out at five CMHCs in Maryland involving clinicians who participated in training in smoking cessation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cognitive impairment in various mental illnesses, particularly neuropsychiatric disorders, has adverse functional and clinical consequences. While genetic mutations and epigenetic dysregulations of several genes during embryonic and adult periods are linked to cognitive impairment in mental disorders, the composition and diversity of resident bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract-shaped by environmental factors-also influence the brain epigenome, affecting behavior and cognitive functions. Accordingly, many recent studies have provided evidence that human gut microbiota may offer a potential avenue for improving cognitive deficits.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Importance: Schizophrenia is associated with premature mortality from mostly natural causes. Decreased cognitive functioning has been identified as a determinant of mortality in the general population. However, there have been few prospective studies of this issue in persons with schizophrenia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Importance: Individuals with schizophrenia are at higher risk for severe COVID-19 illness and severe breakthrough infection following vaccination. It is unclear whether immune response to vaccination differs in this population.

Objective: To assess whether anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody titers after vaccination differ in people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (SZ) compared to controls without a psychiatric disorder.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF