Neighbourhood effects on psychotic and depressive symptoms in the context of religious sectarianism in Northern Ireland: A data linkage study.

Background: The incidence of psychotic disorders is higher in ethnic minorities groups. The 'ethnic density effect', in which living in a neighbourhood with a low own-group proportion increases the risk of psychosis, is one explanatory factor. The density effect in the ethno-religious and sectarian context of Northern Ireland has been found to be reversed, particularly for Catholics, in which there is harmful effect of high own-group density areas.

Exposure to Political Violence in Northern Ireland and Outcome of First Episode Psychosis.

The impact of political violence on individuals presenting with an episode of first episode psychosis has not been examined. Individuals were assessed for exposure to political violence in Northern Ireland (the "Troubles") by asking for a response to 2 questions: one asked about the impact of violence "on your area"; the second about the impact of violence "on you or your family's life." The participants were separated into 2 groups (highandlowimpact) for each question.

Impact of persistent substance misuse on 1-year outcome in first-episode psychosis.

Background: Substance misuse is a common comorbid problem in people presenting with first-episode psychosis and is associated with a poor short-term outcome.

Aims: The aim of this study is to examine differences in baseline characteristics and 1-year outcome between individuals with first-episode psychosis who have never misused substances, those who stop misusing substances after initial presentation and those who persistently misuse substances over the 1-year assessment period.

Method: Patients were recruited to the Northern Ireland First Episode Psychosis Study (n = 272).