Examining subjective experience of aberrant salience in young individuals at ultra-high risk (UHR) of psychosis: A 1-year longitudinal study.

Aberrant salience (AS) is considered as a predisposing factor in early psychosis. Although it has been frequently examined in the general population as a measure of vulnerability to psychotic disorder, empirical evidence on AS in prodromal phases of psychosis is still relatively scarce. Thus, the aims of this research were (1) to investigate any significant association of AS with functioning, psychopathology and treatment components of an "early intervention in psychosis" program in a sample of young community help-seekers at Ultra-High Risk (UHR) of psychosis along a 1-year follow-up period, and (2) to longitudinally monitor the stability of AS across the 1 year of follow-up.

Aberrant salience in first-episode psychosis: Longitudinal stability and treatment-response.

Aim: Aberrant salience (AS) is considered a putative predisposing factor for the onset of psychosis. However, despite several studies conducted in the general population, research in early psychosis is still relatively scarce. The main purposes of this study were to investigate any relevant correlation of AS with functioning and psychopathology in young patients with first episode psychosis (FEP), and to analyse the longitudinal stability of AS across a 1 year follow-up period.

Subjective experience of aberrant salience in young people at Ultra-High Risk (UHR) for psychosis: a cross-sectional study.

Purpose: Aberrant salience (AS) is conceptualized as a potential predisposing factor for psychotic states of mind. Despite several studies in the general population, research on AS in the early phases of psychosis is still relatively scarce. The aim of this cross-sectional study is (1) to evaluate the AS subjective experience in Ultra-High Risk (UHR) adolescents and young adults compared to help-seeking peers with First Episode Psychosis (FEP) and (2) to assess any significant association of baseline AS with psychopathology and functioning in UHR participants.

Anhedonia in the Psychosis Risk Syndrome: State and Trait Characteristics.

Background: Previous studies reported deficits in pleasure experience in schizophrenia, but little is known about anhedonia in psychosis risk syndrome. Aim of this study was: (1) to assess anhedonia in distinct help-seeking subgroups of young people identified through the Ultra-High Risk (UHR) criteria, (2) to explore its association with functioning and psychopathology in the UHR group, and (3) to monitor longitudinally its stability in UHR individuals along 1-year follow-up period.

Subjects And Methods: All participants (78 UHR, 137 with a First Episode Psychosis (FEP), and 95 non-UHR/FEP), aged 13-35 years, completed the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States (CAARMS), the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire - Brief version (SPQ-B), the Brief O-LIFE questionnaire (BOL), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life - Brief version (WHOQOL-BREF).

Familiarity for Serious Mental Illness in Help-Seeking Adolescents at Clinical High Risk of Psychosis.

Ultrahigh-risk (UHR) individuals have an increased vulnerability to psychosis because of accumulating environmental and/or genetic risk factors. Although original research examined established risk factors for psychosis in the UHR state, these findings are scarce and often contradictory. The aims of this study were (a) to investigate the prevalence of severe mental illness (SMI) in family members of distinct subgroups of adolescents identified through the UHR criteria [i.

Overcoming the gap between child and adult mental health services: The Reggio Emilia experience in an early intervention in psychosis program.

Aim: Early intervention in psychosis (EIP) can reduce severity and persistence of illness. From September 2012, the Reggio Emilia Department of Mental Health developed the 'Reggio Emilia At-Risk Mental States' (ReARMS) protocol as a specific EIP infrastructure in all its adult and child/adolescent mental health services. Aims of this study were (a) to describe the ReARMS macroscopic organization and (b) to analyse some specific process indicators (i.

Negative symptom dimensions in first episode psychosis: Is there a difference between schizophrenia and non-schizophrenia spectrum disorders?

Aim: Identifying discrete dimensions that underline negative symptoms in First Episode Psychosis (FEP) could improve the understanding and the treatment of such invalidating symptomatology. The aim of this study is to examine the negative symptom structure in FEP individuals and to compare the resulting factor configurations between FEP subjects with and without Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders (SSD vs non-SSD).

Methods: One hundred and seventy participants (88 SSD and 82 non-SSD), aged 13-35 years, completed the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States (CAARMS) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).

Subjective experience of social cognition in young people at Ultra-High Risk of psychosis: a 2-year longitudinal study.

Impairments in SC have been reported in people at Ultra-High Risk (UHR) of psychosis exclusively using neurocognitive tasks. The aims of this study are (1) to assess subjective experience of SC in adolescent and young adult community help-seekers identified through UHR criteria, (2) to explore significant associations of SC with psychopathology and functioning in UHR individuals; and (3) to monitor longitudinally the SC stability after a 2-year follow-up period. Participants (97 UHR, 141 First-Episode Psychosis [FEP], and 98 non-UHR/FEP), aged 13-35 years, completed the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States (CAARMS) and the GEOPTE scale of social cognition for psychosis.

Anhedonia in young people with first episode psychosis: a longitudinal study.

Previous research observed deficits in pleasure experience in chronic schizophrenia, but little is known about anhedonia in early psychosis. Aim of this study is: (1) to examine anhedonia in distinct help-seeking subgroups of young people identified through the First Episode Psychosis (FEP) criteria, (2) to investigate its correlations with psychopathology in the FEP sample, and (3) to monitor longitudinally its stability in the FEP group along 1-year follow-up period. All participants (137 FEP and 95 nonpsychotic psychiatric controls [i.

Subjective experience of social cognition in adolescents at ultra-high risk of psychosis: findings from a 24-month follow-up study.

Deficits in social cognition have been reported in people at ultra-high risk (UHR) of psychosis exclusively using socio-cognitive tasks and in adolescent and young adult mixed population. Aim of this study was (1) to assess subjective experience of social cognition in adolescent help-seekers identified through UHR criteria, (2) to explore its significant correlations with psychopathology and functioning in UHR individuals; and (3) to monitor longitudinally its stability after a 24-month follow-up period. Participants [51 UHR, 91 first-episode psychosis (FEP), and 48 non-UHR/FEP patients], aged 13-18 years, completed the comprehensive assessment of at-risk mental states and the GEOPTE scale of social cognition for psychosis.

Characterization of young people with first episode psychosis or at ultra-high risk: the Reggio Emilia At-Risk Mental States (ReARMS) program.

Aim: Twenty years of research on the Ultra-High Risk (UHR) paradigm have shown the importance of early intervention in psychosis (EIP) in reducing its severity and persistence. From September 2012, the Reggio Emilia Department of Mental Health developed a specific care pathway (the Reggio Emilia At-Risk Mental States [ReARMS] protocol) as an diffused, "liquid" EIP infrastructure branched within the network of all its adult and child/adolescent mental health service, aimed to offer an evidence-based, expertise-driven protocol of care to young people with a First Episode Psychosis (FEP) or an UHR mental state. Aim of the current study was to investigate patterns of referral to the ReARMS protocol during the first five years of clinical activity.

Clinical high risk for psychosis in childhood and adolescence: findings from the 2-year follow-up of the ReARMS project.

The clinical significance and the prognostic value of clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis, while substantially corroborated in adults, remains less firmly established in children and early adolescents. This follow-up study, developed within the Reggio Emilia At Risk Mental States project, is meant to contribute to the reduction of such lacuna, and has two main aims: (1) 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 (2) 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 and the Schizophrenia Proneness Instrument, Child and Youth version.

The Italian Version of the Brief 21-Item Prodromal Questionnaire: Field Test, Psychometric Properties and Age-Sensitive Cut-Offs.

Background: The Brief, 21-item version of the Prodromal Questionnaire (PQ-B) is a promising screener for psychosis-risk states that could be implemented in routine clinical practice. In this study, we assessed psychometric properties of the Italian version of the PQ-B (iPQ-B) in a sample of 243 help-seekers, aged 13-35 years.

Sampling And Methods: After completing the iPQ-B, participants were assessed with the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States (CAARMS).

Screening for psychosis risk among help-seeking adolescents: Application of the Italian version of the 16-item prodromal questionnaire (iPQ-16) in child and adolescent neuropsychiatry services.

Aim: The 16-item Prodromal Questionnaire (PQ-16) is a versatile screen tool for routine screening of at-risk individuals. We wished to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the PQ-16 (iPQ-16) in a sample of 72 help-seeking adolescents (age range 13-17 years) referred to child and adolescent neuropsychiatry services for diagnostic assessment.

Methods: Participants who completed iPQ-16 were subsequently interviewed with the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States (CAARMS) to confirm the psychosis high risk state.

Adolescents at ultra-high risk of psychosis in Italian neuropsychiatry services: prevalence, psychopathology and transition rate.

Studies in adolescents on ultra-high risk (UHR) and basic symptoms (BS) criteria for psychosis prediction are scarce. In Italy, early interventions in psychosis are less widespread than in other European countries. In the present study, we (1) assessed the clinical relevance of a UHR diagnosis [according to the comprehensive assessment of at-risk mental states (CAARMS) criteria] to promote the implementation of specific services for UHR adolescents into the Italian health care system; (2) described severity of positive, negative, general, and basic symptoms in UHR adolescents compared to adolescents with first-episode psychosis (FEP) and non-UHR adolescents (i.

Validation of the "early detection Primary Care Checklist" in an Italian community help-seeking sample: The "checklist per la Valutazione dell'Esordio Psicotico".

Background: To establish the concordant validity of the "Checklist per la Valutazione dell'Esordio Psicotico" (CVEP) in an Italian help-seeking population. The CVEP is the Italian adaptation of the "early detection Primary Care Checklist," a 20-item tool specifically designed to assist primary care practitioners in identifying young people in the early stages of psychosis.

Methods: The checklist was completed by the referring practitioners of 168 young people referred to the "Reggio Emilia At Risk Mental States" Project, an early detection infrastructure developed under the aegis of the Regional Project on Early Detection of Psychosis in the Reggio Emilia Department of Mental Health.

In search of specificity: "not just right experiences" and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in non-clinical and clinical Italian individuals.

The cognitive model of OCD proposes that certain beliefs may contribute to the development and maintenance of this disorder. To date, however, it is not yet clear which beliefs are more relevant for explaining OCD symptomatology; moreover, their causal status is yet to be clearly established. In the effort to identify other constructs and processes related to OCD, the phenomenon labeled "not just right experiences" (NJREs) has received increasing attention.

Posttraumatic stress disorder and chronic pain arising from motor vehicle accidents: efficacy of interoceptive exposure plus trauma-related exposure therapy.

Preliminary data are presented on the pattern of treatment response of combining interoceptive exposure (IE) with trauma-related exposure therapy (TRE) in five female patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and comorbid chronic musculoskeletal pain originating from motor vehicle accidents. Treatment consisted of four sessions of IE followed by eight sessions of TRE. Four participants reported a reduction in PTSD symptoms after completing treatment, and three no longer met diagnostic criteria for PTSD.

The Italian version of the obsessive compulsive inventory: its psychometric properties on community and clinical samples.

The aim of the study was to evaluate psychometric properties of the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory (OCI) on Italian community and clinical samples. The Italian version of the 42-item OCI was administered to a sample of 340 individuals belonging to the general population and to 88 patients with obsessive compulsive (OCD) or other anxiety disorders. Four different internal structures of the OCI were compared through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA): the figures for the model with six factors and 18 items (OCI-R) met the best criteria for adequacy of fit.