Medication Exposure and Mortality in Patients With Schizophrenia.

Importance: The use of antipsychotics, antidepressants, and benzodiazepines may influence the risk of mortality in people with schizophrenia. However, many observational studies have not accounted for immortal time bias (ITB), which occurs when there is a period during which patients in the exposed group are necessarily alive and misclassified as exposed (the period between start of follow-up and initiation of drug). Ignoring ITB may lead to misinterpretation of the association between these drugs and mortality.

[Housing experiences of new mental health service users: Specific characteristics and developmental issues].

Objectives Access to stable, safe, and affordable housing is an important determinant of health and community integration among people living with mental illness. Previous studies on housing stability, housing satisfaction and residential preferences among people living with mental illness have primarily been conducted among those with extensive service use experiences. First-time mental health service users, and youth in particular, are likely to present with distinct housing needs.

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Objective: There are few tools capable of measuring the personal recovery of individuals presenting with mental disorders that take into account the various dimensions of recovery. Personal recovery encompasses several objectives at the level of autonomy, positive interpersonal relationships, mental and physical health, self-acceptance, the school/professional domain, as well as developing a life project. A team of practitioners and researchers from four countries (Canada, Belgium, France, and Switzerland) adapted the Client Assessment of Strengths, Interests, and Goals (CASIG) tool to more accurately measure these different aspects of personal recovery.

Psychotic Disorders and exosomes: An overview of current evidence and future directions.

Due to its reliance on heterogeneous symptomatology, the accurate diagnosis of psychotic disorders remains a challenging task in clinical practice. Precise and early diagnosis of psychotic disorders facilitates early intervention, which has been shown to have substantial benefits for long-term outcomes. Still, the lack of specific biomarkers is an important limitation in early diagnosis and intervention.

Care trajectories around a first dementia diagnosis in patients with serious mental illness.

Aim: To develop a typology of care trajectories (CTs) 1 year before and after a first dementia diagnosis in individuals aged ≥65 years, with prevalent schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

Methods: This was a longitudinal, retrospective cohort study using health administrative data (1996-2016) from Quebec (Canada). We selected patients aged ≥65 years with an incident diagnosis of dementia between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2016, and a diagnosis of schizophrenia and/or or bipolar disorder.

Assessing the fidelity of supported education programs for first-episode psychosis to the supported employment guidelines adapted for education.

Introduction: Psychotic disorders are associated with academic difficulties. Supported Employment Program (SEP) guidelines have become the gold standard to improve occupational functioning in psychotic disorders. More recently, these guidelines have been adapted to education.

[Sharing information and respecting confidentiality: Standards for improving the quality of mental health services].

Objectives Collaboration between family caregivers and professionals plays a critical role in the recovery of the person living with a mental health disorder. However, collaborative practices between family caregivers and professionals are impeded by issues relating to confidentiality, particularly in connection with bidirectional information sharing between the parties involved. In doing so, these issues affect the quality of mental health services.

Preferences of Young Adults With Psychosis for Cannabis-Focused Harm Reduction Interventions: A Cross-Sectional Study: Préférences des jeunes adultes souffrant de psychose pour les interventions de réduction des méfaits axées sur le cannabis : une étude transversale.

Objectives: Cannabis use is common in people with early-phase psychosis (EP) and is associated with worse treatment outcomes. Few targeted interventions for cannabis use behaviour in this population exist, most focusing on abstinence, none focusing on harm reduction. Many people with EP will not seek treatment for their cannabis use with current therapeutic options.

Problem gambling in psychotic disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence.

Introduction: Problem gambling (PBG) is more common in people with mental health disorders, including substance use, bipolar, and personality disorders, than in the general population. Although individuals with psychotic disorders might be expected to be more vulnerable to PBG, fewer studies have focused on this comorbidity. The aim of this review was to estimate the prevalence of PBG in people with psychotic disorders.

Risk factors for homelessness and housing instability in the first episode of mental illness: Initial findings from the AMONT study.

Aim: People living with mental illness are more likely than the general population to experience adverse housing outcomes, including homelessness. The aim of the current study is to examine residential status when participants have their first contact with mental health services, and the correlates of residential status at that moment.

Methods: First-time mental health service users were recruited from seven clinical sites across Québec.

The effects of antipsychotic discontinuation or maintenance on the process of recovery in remitted first-episode psychosis patients - A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: The optimal duration of antipsychotic treatment following remission of first-episode psychosis (FEP) is uncertain, considering potential adverse effects and individual variability in relapse rates. This study aimed to investigate the effect of antipsychotic discontinuation compared to continuation on recovery in remitted FEP patients.

Methods: CENTRAL, MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, and PsycINFO databases were searched on November 2, 2023, with no language restrictions.

Evaluation of a Cannabis Harm Reduction Intervention for People With First-Episode Psychosis: Protocol for a Pilot Multicentric Randomized Trial.

Background: Cannabis use is highly prevalent in young people with first-episode psychosis (FEP). Most report cannabis use and are often diagnosed with a cannabis use disorder upon admission to specialized services for psychosis. Cannabis use in this population is associated with worse clinical and psychosocial outcomes, rendering it an important clinical target.

Impact of gaming disorder on first episode psychosis patients' evolution: Protocol for a multicentered prospective study.

Aims: The objective of this study is to underline the impact of Gaming Disorder on the clinical evolution of patients with First Episode Psychosis. The specific aims of the study are to determine the prevalence of gaming disorder among those patients and assess the consequences of gaming on their clinical trajectory.

Methods: This is a prospective multicenter cohort study that will enrol 800 patients diagnosed with a first episode psychosis, with a follow-up period of up to 3 years.

Treatment with psychostimulants and atomoxetine in people with psychotic disorders: reassessing the risk of clinical deterioration in a real-world setting.

Background: Although attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is often comorbid with schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders (SZSPD), concerns about an increased risk of psychotic events have limited its treatment with either psychostimulants or atomoxetine.

Aims: To examine whether the risk of hospital admission for psychosis in people with SZSPD was increased during the year following the introduction of such medications compared with the year before.

Method: This was a retrospective cohort study using Quebec (Canada) administrative health registries, including all Quebec residents with a public prescription drug insurance plan and a diagnosis of psychotic disorder, defined by relevant ICD-9 or ICD-10 codes, who initiated either methylphenidate, amphetamines or atomoxetine, between January 2010 and December 2016, in combination with antipsychotic medication.

Short communication: Prevalence of long-acting injectable antipsychotic use in Canadian early intervention services for psychosis.

The use of long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotic drugs for psychotic disorders in Canada has been historically low compared to other jurisdictions despite advantages of LAIs in improving medication adherence and preventing relapse. In response, treatment recommendations were developed in 2013 by the Canadian Consortium for Early Intervention in Psychosis and other Canadian provincial expert groups. The impact of these guidelines needed to be assessed.

Evaluating preferences for online psychological interventions to decrease cannabis use in young adults with psychosis: An observational study.

Innovative technology-based solutions have the potential to improve access to clinically proven interventions for cannabis use disorder (CUD) in individuals with first episode psychosis (FEP). High patient engagement with app-based interventions is critical for achieving optimal outcomes. 104 individuals 18 to 35 years old with FEP and CUD from three Canadian provinces completed an electronic survey to evaluate preferences for online psychological intervention intensity, participation autonomy, feedback related to cannabis use, and technology platforms and app functionalities.

Improvement of functioning in patients with schizophrenia: real-world effectiveness of aripiprazole once-monthly (REACT study).

Background: Functional impairment affects many patients with schizophrenia. Treatment with the long-acting injectable antipsychotic aripiprazole once-monthly (AOM) may help improve functioning.

Objectives: To explore changes in functioning in patients with schizophrenia who received AOM treatment in observational studies.

Housing trajectories and the risk of homelessness among new mental health service users: Protocol for the AMONT study.

Aims: High rates of mental illness among individuals experiencing homelessness, as well as documented contacts with psychiatric services prior to episodes of homelessness, indicate that early intervention could play a key role in homelessness prevention. Decision-makers and clinical teams need longitudinal data on housing trajectories following initial contact with psychiatric services, as well as on predictors of risk of housing instability and homelessness. This paper describes the AMONT study, a mixed-methods naturalistic longitudinal cohort study of individuals identified as new psychiatric service users in seven clinical sites across the province of Québec (Canada).

Problem gambling among people with first-episode psychosis: protocol for a prospective multicenter cohort study.

Background: The limited available data suggest that the prevalence of problem gambling is increased among young adults with first-episode psychosis, possibly due in part to several risk factors for problem gambling that are common in this population. Aripiprazole, a widely used antipsychotic drug, has also been linked to cases of problem gambling, but causality remains uncertain. Although the consequences of problem gambling further hinder the recovery of people with first-episode psychosis, there is a paucity of research about this comorbidity and its risk factors.

Associations between theory of mind and clinical symptoms in recent onset schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Introduction: People with schizophrenia often present with Theory of mind (ToM) deficits, and the link between these deficits and clinical symptoms remains to be refined, for instance through the use of more recent assessment methods. The objective of this study was to examine the associations between a psychometrically sound ToM task and the clinical symptoms of schizophrenia as measured with the five dimensions of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) namely positive, negative, cognitive/disorganization, depression/anxiety and excitability/hostility, while controlling for non-social cognitive abilities.

Methods: Seventy participants with recent-onset schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) were assessed for ToM using the Combined stories task (COST) and for clinical symptoms using the PANSS.