Views of young people in Malaysia on mental health, help-seeking and unusual psychological experiences.

AIM: Mental health problems are prevalent among young people in Malaysia yet access to specialist mental health care is extremely limited. More context-specific research is needed to understand the factors affecting help-seeking in youth, when mental health problems typically have first onset. We aimed to explore the attitudes of vulnerable young Malaysians regarding mental health problems including unusual psychological experiences, help-seeking and mental health treatment. METHODS: In the present study, nine young people (aged 16-23 years) from low-income backgrounds participated in a semi-structured interview about their perspectives on mental health problems, unusual psychological experiences and help-seeking. RESULTS: Four themes were developed using thematic analysis. "Is it that they [have] family problems?" reflected participants' explanatory models of mental health problems. "Maybe in Malaysia" was concerned with perceptions of Malaysian culture as both encouraging of open sharing of problems and experiences, but also potentially stigmatizing. "You have to ask for help" emphasized the importance of mental health help-seeking despite potential stigma. "It depends on the person" addressed the challenges of engaging with psychological therapy. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that young people in Malaysia may hold compassionate, non-stigmatizing views towards people experiencing mental health problems and a desire to increase their knowledge and understandings. Yet societal stigma is a perceived reputational risk that may affect mental health problem disclosure and help-seeking. We suggest that efforts to improve mental health literacy would be valued by young Malaysians and could support reduced stigma and earlier help-seeking.

Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial of CBT vs antipsychotics vs both in 14-18-year-olds: Managing Adolescent first episode Psychosis: a feasibility study (MAPS).

BACKGROUND: Adolescent-onset psychosis is associated with more severe symptoms and poorer outcomes than adult-onset psychosis. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommend that adolescents with first episode psychosis (FEP) should be offered a combination of antipsychotic medication (APs), cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and family intervention (FI). The evidence for APs in treating psychosis is limited in adolescents compared to adults. Nevertheless, it indicates that APs can reduce overall symptoms in adolescents but may cause more severe side effects, including cardiovascular and metabolic effects, than in adults. CBT and FI can improve outcomes in adults, but there are no studies of psychological interventions (PI) in patients under 18 years old. Given this limited evidence base, NICE made a specific research recommendation for determining the clinical and cost effectiveness of APs versus PI versus both treatments for adolescent FEP. METHODS/DESIGN: The current study aimed to establish the feasibility and acceptability of conducting such a trial by recruiting 14-18-year-olds with a first episode of psychosis into a feasibility prospective randomised open blinded evaluation (PROBE) design, three-arm, randomised controlled trial of APs alone versus PI alone versus a combination of both treatments. We aimed to recruit 90 participants from Early Intervention and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Teams in seven UK sites. APs were prescribed by participants' usual psychiatrists. PI comprised standardised cognitive behavioural therapy and family intervention sessions. DISCUSSION: This is the first study to compare APs to PI in an adolescent population with FEP. Recruitment finished on 31 October 2018. The study faced difficulties with recruitment across most sites due to factors including clinician and service-user treatment preferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current controlled trial with ISRCTN, ISRCTN80567433 . Registered on 27 February 2017.

Young people at risk of psychosis: their subjective experiences of monitoring and cognitive behaviour therapy in the early detection and intervention evaluation 2 trial.

OBJECTIVES: To explore participants' experiences of 'enhanced monitoring' and cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) within a randomized controlled trial evaluating early detection and prevention of psychosis ('early detection and intervention evaluation [EDIE] 2'). DESIGN: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with a sample of participants at the end of their involvement with the trial. METHODS: Ten young people were interviewed; six males and four females, with a mean age of 27.5. Nine participants identified themselves as White British and one Black British. All participants had received 'enhanced monitoring' during the trial, and 8 of 10 also received CBT. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis to identify central themes within and among participants' accounts. RESULTS: Three super-ordinate thematic areas were identified: 'a chance to talk', monitoring-specific themes, and CBT-specific themes. The central theme ('a chance to talk') was drawn from across all participants' accounts and represents the most consistently valued attribute of participants' experiences of the EDIE 2 trial. Sub-themes of this topic were identified as follows: interpersonal engagement, informality and normalization, and 'opening up'. Sub-themes related to monitoring include the following: clarity and reassurance, 'a therapeutic process', and challenges. CBT experience was most consistently conceptualized as 'rethinking things', and two additional CBT-specific sub-themes were identified: hard work and moving forward. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that for young people at risk of psychosis, a normalizing psychosocially oriented assessment and monitoring process may have benefits for many, while CBT may help to reduce the negative impact of unusual psychological experiences for both the short- and long term. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Young people considered at risk of psychosis highly value normalizing, collaborative, and flexible approaches when engaging with research or clinical staff. All of our participants highlighted the primary value of their engagement with staff members as having a 'chance to talk' about their experiences and difficulties. CBT seems to be widely acceptable among 'at-risk' participants, though further research is required to establish the 'key ingredients' of effective CBT for 'at-risk' individuals. Valued CBT-related outcomes highlighted by participants included improved psychosocial understanding of their difficulties, improved coping ability, and greater optimism for the future.