Immune and oxidative stress biomarkers in pediatric psychosis and psychosis-risk: Meta-analyses and systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: While genetic and cohort studies suggest immune and reduction/oxidation (redox) alterations occur in psychosis, less is known about potential alterations in children and adolescents. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review to identify immune and redox biomarker studies in children and adolescents (mean age ≤ 18 years old) across the psychosis spectrum: from psychotic like experiences, which are common in children, to threshold psychotic disorders like schizophrenia. We conducted meta-analyses when at least three studies measured the same biomarker. RESULTS: The systematic review includes 38 pediatric psychosis studies. The meta-analyses found that youth with threshold psychotic disorders had higher neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (Hedge's g = 0.40, 95 % CI 0.17 - 0.64), tumor necrosis factor (Hedge's g = 0.38, 95 % CI 0.06 - 0.69), C-reactive protein (Hedge's g = 0.38, 95 % CI 0.05 - 0.70), interleukin-6 (Hedge's g = 0.35; 95 % CI 0.11 - 0.64), and total white blood cell count (Hedge's g = 0.29, 95 % CI 0.12 - 0.46) compared to youth without psychosis. Other immune and oxidative stress meta-analytic findings were very heterogeneous. CONCLUSION: Results from several studies are consistent with the hypothesis that signals often classified as "proinflammatory" are elevated in threshold pediatric psychotic disorders. Data are less clear for immune markers in subthreshold psychosis and redox markers across the subthreshold and threshold psychosis spectrum. Immune and redox biomarker intervention studies are lacking, and research investigating interventions targeting the immune system in threshold pediatric psychosis is especially warranted.

Characterizing Youth-Caregiver Concordance and Discrepancies in Psychopathology Symptoms in a US Community Sample.

Evidence shows that reports of psychopathology symptoms by youth and their caregiver informants differ. To quantify youth-caregiver discrepancies in psychopathology symptoms and factors associated with such discrepancies, we investigated differences in how youth and their caregivers rated psychopathology symptoms. The sample (N = 5094) was extracted from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort, a community-based sample of youth and included participants ages 11-17 years old with both youth and caregiver reported symptom scores. Across psychopathology symptoms, youth-caregiver concordance was poor to fair (Cohens kappa for symptom items ranged between 0.03-0.41). Psychosis symptoms had the lowest concordance-Cohen's kappa ranged from 0.03 to 0.17 across psychosis symptoms. Discrepancies between youth and caregiver symptom reports were greater than average for Black youth and for youth of low socioeconomic status; discrepancies were also higher than average in youth with any psychiatric disorder when compared to typically developing youth. Network analysis of difference scores obtained by subtracting youth symptom scores from caregiver reported symptom scores showed that network connectivity (i.e., correlated difference scores) was sparsest for psychosis spectrum compared to other psychiatric disorders. Using a large sample, we show that youth and their caregiver informants tend to report psychopathology symptoms differently. Youth-caregiver discrepancies were the most pronounced for Black youth and youth of low socio-economic status. Race and socioeconomic status contribute to significant differences in how youth and their caregivers report such symptoms and are important factors that should be accounted for to facilitate accurate mental health symptom assessment and evaluation.

Commentary: Schizophrenia prevention and prodromal psychosis in children and adolescents.

Catalan and colleagues aggregated findings related to detection, prognosis, and intervention in Clinical High Risk for Psychosis (CHR-P) children and adolescents through October 7, 2019 (Catalan et al., 2020). While a sufficient number of studies were available to meta-analytically summarize evidence on detection and prognosis, the authors highlight the need for more studies on interventions, including cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis, in CHR-P youth. Further research on the biological and neural correlates of CHR-P in children and adolescents is also needed. Though results from the few existing biomarker studies in CHR-P youth were included in the systematic review, disparate study methodologies and outcomes prohibited biomarker study meta-analysis.

Racial Implicit Associations in Psychiatric Diagnosis, Treatment, and Compliance Expectations.

OBJECTIVE: Racial and ethnic disparities are well documented in psychiatry, yet suboptimal understanding of underlying mechanisms of these disparities undermines diversity, inclusion, and education efforts. Prior research suggests that implicit associations can affect human behavior, which may ultimately influence healthcare disparities. This study investigated whether racial implicit associations exist among medical students and psychiatric physicians and whether race/ethnicity, training level, age, and gender predicted racial implicit associations. METHODS: Participants completed online demographic questions and 3 race Implicit Association Tests (IATs) related to psychiatric diagnosis (psychosis vs. mood disorders), patient compliance (compliance vs. non-compliance), and psychiatric medications (antipsychotics vs. antidepressants). Linear and logistic regression models were used to identify demographic predictors of racial implicit associations. RESULTS: The authors analyzed data from 294 medical students and psychiatric physicians. Participants were more likely to pair faces of Black individuals with words related to psychotic disorders (as opposed to mood disorders), non-compliance (as opposed to compliance), and antipsychotic medications (as opposed to antidepressant medications). Among participants, self-reported White race and higher level of training were the strongest predictors of associating faces of Black individuals with psychotic disorders, even after adjusting for participant's age. CONCLUSIONS: Racial implicit associations were measurable among medical students and psychiatric physicians. Future research should examine (1) the relationship between implicit associations and clinician behavior and (2) the ability of interventions to reduce racial implicit associations in mental healthcare.

Association of anxiety phenotypes with risk of depression and suicidal ideation in community youth.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety symptoms are common in adolescence and are often considered developmentally benign. Yet for some, anxiety presents with serious comorbid nonanxiety psychopathology. Early identification of such "malignant" anxiety presentations is a major challenge. We aimed to characterize anxiety symptoms suggestive of risk for depression and suicidal ideation (SI) in community youths. METHODS: Cross-sectional associations were evaluated in community youths (n = 7,054, mean age: 15.8) who were assessed for anxiety, depression, and SI. We employed factor and latent class analyses to identify anxiety clusters and subtypes. Longitudinal risk of anxiety was evaluated in a subset of 330 youths with longitudinal data on depression and SI (with baseline mean age of 12.3 years and follow-up mean age of 16.98 years). OUTCOMES: Almost all (92%) adolescents reported anxiety symptoms. Data-driven approaches revealed anxiety factors and subtypes that were differentially associated with depression and SI. Cross-sectional analyses revealed that panic and generalized anxiety symptoms show the most robust associations with depression and SI. Longitudinal, multivariate analyses revealed that panic symptoms during early adolescence, not generalized anxiety symptoms, predict depression and SI for later adolescent years, particularly in males. INTERPRETATION: Anxiety is common in youths, with certain symptom clusters/subtypes predicting risk for depression and SI. Panic symptoms in early adolescence, even below disorder threshold, predict high risk for late adolescent depression and SI.

Monotherapy Insufficient in Severe Anxiety? Predictors and Moderators in the Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Study.

This secondary analysis of the Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Study (CAMS) used baseline patient characteristics to identify prognostic subgroups of children based on likelihood of remission. We also investigated predictors and moderators of outcome. CAMS randomized 488 youths with generalized, social, and separation anxiety disorders to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), sertraline, both, or pill placebo. Outcomes were Week 12 child, parent, and independent evaluator (IE) ratings of child anxiety. We used receiver operating characteristics analysis and stepwise regression to identify predictors and moderators of outcome. Severe anxiety, lower socioeconomic status, and comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder predicted higher IE-rated anxiety posttreatment; child-rated social anxiety predicted poorer outcomes reported by all informants. Regarding moderators, Hispanic ethnicity predicted higher IE-rated anxiety after CBT and higher parent-rated anxiety after sertraline. In youths with severe anxiety (Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale ≥ 20, <italic>n</italic> = 220), combination treatment increased remission (relative risk [RR] = 2.85, <italic>p</italic> < .001), 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.51, 5.39], whereas CBT (RR = 1.55, <italic>p</italic> = .20), 95% CI [0.77, 3.10], and sertraline (RR = 1.27, <italic>p</italic> = .53), 95% CI [0.59, 2.73], did not significantly increase remission relative to placebo. These are the first findings demonstrating that a combination of CBT and a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, not monotherapy, is likely key for achieving remission in severe anxiety. CAMS was not powered to detect treatment efficacy after stratification by anxiety severity, so further research is needed regarding effective treatments in severe anxiety. Our main effect findings suggest youth with severe anxiety (especially social phobia), low socioeconomic status and obsessive-compulsive disorder benefit less from current first-line treatments relative to other anxious youth. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00052078.

Assessing the association of nativity and acculturation to fast food restaurant use and its relationship to metabolic risk factors among US blacks with Afro-Caribbean ethnicity.

OBJECTIVES: This investigation among Afro-Caribbean adults in the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) examined whether acculturation and preference for dining out accounted for variation by nativity in the frequency of fast food restaurant use, and assessed the relationship of fast food restaurant use to body weight and insulin resistance. METHODS: A randomly selected sample of 679 Afro-Caribbean adults (aged ≥ 20 years), including 436 who were foreign-born and 243 who were native-born, were recruited on the island of St. Croix, USVI. Information on demographic characteristics, level of acculturation and dietary practices were obtained from participants by questionnaire. Fasting blood samples, which were measured for glucose and insulin, and anthropometric measurements were also collected from participants. Insulin resistance was estimated by the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA). Relationships between variables were assessed with analysis of variance and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: In bivariate analyses, birth in the USVI, younger age, being single, greater preference for dining out and higher levels of education and acculturation were significantly (P < .05) associated with fast food restaurant use. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, birth in the USVI, younger age and preference for dining out were independently associated with frequent (≥ 2 days/week) fast food restaurant use. The mean level of HOMA insulin resistance among participants increased significantly with more frequent use of fast food restaurants. CONCLUSIONS: Among Afro-Caribbean adults in the USVI, fast food restaurant use is positively associated with insulin resistance and varies by nativity, but acculturation does not account for this variation.

Racial Implicit Associations in Child Psychiatry.

OBJECTIVE: Racial disparities in diagnosis and treatment are prevalent in child psychiatry, including disparate diagnosis rates of internalizing and externalizing disorders in Black and White children. However, limited research has investigated mechanisms that contribute to these disparities. This study examined child racial implicit associations in psychiatric clinicians and medical students to address this gap. METHOD: Psychiatrists and trainees completed an online survey including 2 race Implicit Association Tests (IATs) pairing child faces to words with either positive or negative valence, and words related to internalizing or externalizing behavioral problems. We further investigated psychiatrists' and trainees' demographic predictors of implicit associations. RESULTS: Data were analyzed from 235 psychiatrists and trainees (112 child and adolescent psychiatrists and fellows) who met inclusion criteria. Psychiatrists and trainees demonstrated greater moderate-to-strong association between Black child faces and "bad" words (44.3%) vs "good" words (6.4%), and between externalizing words (41.7%) and internalizing words (7.2%). Psychiatrists' and trainees' demographic characteristics including being female (ß = -0.12; 95% CI = -0.23 to -0.01; p < .05), Black (ß = -0.36; 95% CI = -0.54 to -0.18; p < .001), or an attending physician (ß = -0.26; 95% CI = -0.45 to -0.06; p = .01) were significant predictors of decreased association between Black child faces and negative valence words. Being female was a significant predictor of decreased association between Black child faces and externalizing words (ß = -0.26; 95% CI = -0.45 to -0.06; p = .01). CONCLUSION: Participating psychiatrists and trainees demonstrated bias toward associating Black rather than White child faces with negative words and externalizing behavioral problems. Future research should examine the following: (1) racial implicit associations in a more generalizable sample, (2) the relationship between race IATs and provider behavior, and (3) interventions to reduce racial inequities in psychiatry, including individual and systemic solutions. DIVERSITY & INCLUSION STATEMENT: We worked to ensure sex and gender balance in the recruitment of human participants. We worked to ensure race, ethnic, and/or other types of diversity in the recruitment of human participants. We worked to ensure that the study questionnaires were prepared in an inclusive way. One or more of the authors of this paper self-identifies as a member of one or more historically underrepresented sexual and/or gender groups in science. We actively worked to promote sex and gender balance in our author group. We actively worked to promote inclusion of historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science in our author group. One or more of the authors of this paper self-identifies as a member of one or more historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science. One or more of the authors of this paper received support from a program designed to increase minority representation in science.

Tobacco smoking and nicotine vaping in persons with first episode psychosis.

Tobacco smoking is highly prevalent in persons with psychosis and is the leading cause of preventable mortality in this population. Less is known about tobacco smoking in persons with first episode psychosis (FEP) and there have been no estimates about the prevalence of nicotine vaping in FEP. This study reports rates of tobacco smoking and nicotine vaping in young people with FEP enrolled in Coordinated Specialty Care programs in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Using data collected from 2021 to 2023, we examined lifetime and recent smoking and vaping and compared smokers and vapers to nonusers on symptoms, functioning, and substance use. The sample included 445 participants aged 13-35 with recent psychosis onset. Assessments were collected by program staff. Overall, 28 % of participants engaged in either smoking or vaping within 30 days of the admission assessment. Smokers and vapers were disproportionately male, cannabis users, and had lower negative symptom severity than non-smokers. Vapers had higher role and social functioning. Both smoking and vaping were related to a longer time from psychosis onset to program enrollment. We compare these findings to previous studies and suggest steps for addressing smoking and vaping in this vulnerable population.

Association of church-sponsored activity participation and prevalence of overweight and obesity in African American Protestants, National Survey of American Life, 2001-2003.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the relationships between participation in the African American church and overweight/obesity (body mass index (BMI) > or = 25 kg/m2). DESIGN: This cross-sectional analysis was based on the National Survey of American Life 2001-2003 and included 2,689 African American Protestant (AAP) adults. Multivariate logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for overweight/obesity. Two practices were examined--frequency of participation in church activities (excluding services) and frequency of church service attendance. Each practice was analyzed in separate models. Each model included the following covariates: age, marital status, education, poverty, smoking, and region of country. We also adjusted models for sex. RESULTS: After adjustment, African American Protestant men (AAPM) who participated in church activities at least weekly were more likely to be overweight/obese (aOR=2.17; 95% CI = 1.25, 3.77) compared to AAPM who did not participate in church activities. There was no statistically significant association between overweight/obesity and participation in church activities for AAPW. There was no association between overweight/obesity and attendance of church services for AAP men and women combined. CONCLUSIONS: For AAPM, participation in church activities was significantly associated with overweight/obesity. Further studies are required to determine why this association occurs in AAPM but not AAPW. Studies looking at the wider application of the several successful health initiatives targeting the AAP community should also be considered.

Systematic review and meta-analysis: Season of birth and schizophrenia risk.

OBJECTIVE: Winter birth has been hypothesized to be associated with increased schizophrenia risk for nearly a century. Major hypotheses regarding the potential etiological risk factors for schizophrenia such as vitamin D deficiency and virus exposure in utero are predicated based on the observation that risk of schizophrenia is higher in children born in winter months. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the association between season and month of birth and risk of schizophrenia. We further investigated this relationship stratified by hemisphere. RESULTS: Forty-three studies spanning 30 countries and territories and 440,039 individuals with schizophrenia were included in this meta-analysis. Winter births were associated with a small but statistically significant increased risk of schizophrenia (OR 1.05, 95 % CI 1.03-1.07, p < 0.0001) and summer births were associated with a small but statistically significant decreased risk of schizophrenia (OR 0.96, 95 % CI 0.94-0.98, p = 0.0001). Stratified subgroup analysis demonstrated no significant difference between hemispheres in the risk of schizophrenia for either winter or summer births. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis using birth month data demonstrated a clear seasonal trend towards increased risk of schizophrenia being associated with winter birth months and decreased risk of schizophrenia in summer-to-fall months in the Northern but not Southern Hemisphere. These data suggest a small-but-substantial increased risk of schizophrenia in winter birth month. Further research needs to examine potential etiologic causes for this association.

Making Evidence-Based Knowledge Accessible to Parents to Promote Child Mental Health Care.

Parenting is often described as one of the most complicated life challenges, and the complexity increases in the presence of child developmental and/or mental health conditions. In the field of child psychiatry, parental psychoeducation-including guidance, support, and skill building-is an integral part of treatment that improves both the child patient's wellbeing and the quality of life of the family. Parents are the primary agent of care delivery for the child patient, which means that parental beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge about mental health care fundamentally influence service use and treatment adherence. Parents' and caregivers' access to accurate and up-to-date information regarding child development and mental health conditions can be critical in helping families optimize their use of mental health services, feel more confident in managing their child's symptoms, and make informed decisions about treatment strategies, which ultimately improve mental health outcomes in children.1.

Association between racial/ethnic discrimination and pubertal development in early adolescence.

Racial health disparities in the United States are a major concern, with Black or African Americans experiencing more morbidity and mortality at earlier ages compared to White Americans. More data is needed on the biological underpinnings of this phenomenon. One potential explanation for racial health disparities is that of accelerated aging, which is associated with increased stress exposure. Black Americans face disproportionate levels of environmental stress, specifically racial/ethnic discrimination. Here we investigated associations between self-reported experiences of discrimination and pubertal development (PD) in a diverse sample of young American adolescents (N = 11,235, mean age 10.9 years, 20.5% Black participants) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Compared to their non-Black counterparts, Black youth experienced more racial/ethnic discrimination in the past year (10.4% vs 3.1%) and had a greater likelihood of being in late/post-pubertal status (3.6% vs 1.5% in boys, 21.3% vs 11.4% in girls). In both sexes, multivariable regression models run in the full sample revealed a cross-sectional association of experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination with pubertal development (boys: standardized beta [ß]=0.123, P < .001; girls: ß = 0.110, P < .001) covarying for demographics, BMI, and dietary habits. Associations remained significant when controlling for multiple other environmental confounders including other forms of (non-racial/ethnic) discrimination and other environmental adversities including poverty and negative life events, and when using parent-reported assessment of pubertal development. Furthermore, racial/ethnic discrimination was associated with elevated estradiol levels in girls (ß = 0.057, P = .002). Findings suggest an association between experiences of discrimination and pubertal development that is independent of multiple environmental stressors. Future longitudinal studies are warranted to establish causal mechanism.

Acute medical workup for new-onset psychosis in children and adolescents: A retrospective cohort.

No consensus exists about which medical testing is indicated for youth with new-onset psychotic symptoms. We conducted a chart review of youths aged 7-21 years who were medically hospitalized for workup of new-onset psychotic symptoms from January 2017 through September 2020 in a free-standing children's hospital. The sample included 131 patients. At discharge, 129 (98.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 94.5-99.8) were diagnosed with a primary psychiatric condition, 1 was diagnosed with levetiracetam-induced psychosis, and 1 with seronegative autoimmune encephalitis. Notably, 33 (25.2%; 95% CI: 18.0-33.5) had incidental findings unrelated to psychosis, 14 (10.7%; 95% CI: 6.0-17.3) had findings that required medical intervention but did not explain the psychosis, 12 (9.2%; 95% CI: 4.8-15.5) had a positive urine drug screen, and 4 (3.1%; 95% CI: 0.8-7.6) had a neurological exam consistent with conversion disorder. In conclusion, extensive medical testing in the acute setting for psychosis had a low yield for identifying medical etiologies of new-onset psychotic symptoms.

Association Between Discrimination Stress and Suicidality in Preadolescent Children.

Objective: Youth suicide rates in the United States have been increasing in recent years, especially in Black Americans, the reasons for which are unclear. Environmental adversity is key in youth suicidality; hence there is a need to study stressors that have a disproportionate impact on Black youths. We aimed to disentangle the unique contribution of racial/ethnic discrimination from other adversities associated with childhood suicidal ideation and attempts (suicidality). Method: We analyzed data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, which included a large, diverse sample of US children (N = 11,235, mean age 10.9 years, 20.2% Black), assessed for multiple environmental adversities including discrimination. Multivariate regression models tested the association of self-reported racial/ethnic discrimination with suicidality, covarying for multiple confounders including other discrimination types (toward non-US-born individuals, sexual orientation-based, and weight-based). Matched analyses contrasted effects of racial/ethnic discrimination and racial identity on suicidality. Results: Black youths reported more discrimination and higher suicidality rates than non-Black youths. High racial/ethnic discrimination was positively and significantly associated with suicidality, adjusting for other discrimination types (odds ratio = 2.6, 95% CI = 2.1-3.2). Findings remained significant after adjusting for multiple suicidality risk factors. Once experienced, racial/ethnic discrimination was similarly associated with suicidality in White, Black, and Hispanic youths. Matched analyses revealed that racial/ethnic discrimination was associated with suicidality (relative risk = 2.7, 95% CI = 2-3.5), whereas Black race was not (relative risk = 0.9, 95% CI = 0.7-1.2). Conclusion: Racial/ethnic discrimination is disproportionately experienced by Black children, and is associated with preadolescent suicidality, over and above other adversities. Findings highlight the need to address discrimination as part of suicide prevention strategies. Cross-sectional design hampers causal inferences.Reprinted from J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry, Argabright et al., Association Between Discrimination Stress and Suicidality in Preadolescent Children, S0890-8567(21)01355-1, copyright 2021, with permission from Elsevier.

Association Between Discrimination Stress and Suicidality in Preadolescent Children.

OBJECTIVE: Youth suicide rates in the United States have been increasing in recent years, especially in Black Americans, the reasons for which are unclear. Environmental adversity is key in youth suicidality; hence there is a need to study stressors that have a disproportionate impact on Black youths. We aimed to disentangle the unique contribution of racial/ethnic discrimination from other adversities associated with childhood suicidal ideation and attempts (suicidality). METHOD: We analyzed data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, which included a large, diverse sample of US children (N = 11,235, mean age 10.9 years, 20.2% Black), assessed for multiple environmental adversities including discrimination. Multivariate regression models tested the association of self-reported racial/ethnic discrimination with suicidality, covarying for multiple confounders including other discrimination types (toward non-US-born individuals, sexual orientation-based, and weight-based). Matched analyses contrasted effects of racial/ethnic discrimination and racial identity on suicidality. RESULTS: Black youths reported more discrimination and higher suicidality rates than non-Black youths. High racial/ethnic discrimination was positively and significantly associated with suicidality, adjusting for other discrimination types (odds ratio = 2.6, 95% CI = 2.1-3.2). Findings remained significant after adjusting for multiple suicidality risk factors. Once experienced, racial/ethnic discrimination was similarly associated with suicidality in White, Black, and Hispanic youths. Matched analyses revealed that racial/ethnic discrimination was associated with suicidality (relative risk = 2.7, 95% CI = 2-3.5), whereas Black race was not (relative risk = 0.9, 95% CI = 0.7-1.2). CONCLUSION: Racial/ethnic discrimination is disproportionately experienced by Black children, and is associated with preadolescent suicidality, over and above other adversities. Findings highlight the need to address discrimination as part of suicide prevention strategies. Cross-sectional design hampers causal inferences.

Time to Clinical Response in the Treatment of Early Onset Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders Study.

Objectives: We investigated the time course of clinical response in the Treatment of Early Onset Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders Study (TEOSS). Methods: TEOSS randomized 119 predominantly outpatient youth ages 8-19 years with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder to 8 weeks of treatment with molindone, risperidone, or olanzapine. We used proportional hazards regression to determine whether these three antipsychotics differed in the time until clinical response, defined as the time from treatment initiation to the point of achieving a Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement (CGI-I) scale score of 1 ("very much improved") or 2 ("much improved") that was maintained until week 8. Results: Of the 116 youth who initiated treatment, 56 (48%) achieved clinical response. Among clinical responders, the median (±interquartile range) time until clinical response was 4.0 (±4.0) weeks for olanzapine, 4.5 (±4.0) weeks for risperidone, and 6.0 (±4.0) weeks for molindone. There were no significant differences in time course for clinical response between medications (p = 0.84). Youth without symptom improvement (CGI-I ≥ 4) after 3 weeks were more likely to be clinical nonresponders at week 8 (relative risk ratio = 1.98, 95% confidence interval 1.29-3.05), compared with youth with at-least-minimal symptom improvement after 3 weeks when looking at all antipsychotics combined. Conclusion: To our knowledge, our study is the first to investigate medication differences in treatment response timing in early onset schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Clinical response times for molindone, risperidone, and olanzapine were not significantly different. Furthermore, while lack of early improvement predicted clinical nonresponse, whether or not to continue antipsychotic treatment after 3 or more weeks without symptom improvement should be based on clinical judgment after weighing potential risks, benefits, and alternatives. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00053703.

Association between traumatic stressful events and schizotypal symptoms among a community-based sample of adolescents: A 2-year longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic stressful events (TSEs) are among the most studied risk factors for subsequent schizotypal symptoms. However, specificity and aggregate effects of trauma exposure on schizotypal symptoms remain unclear. This study investigates these relationships among a community-based sample of US adolescents. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A sub-sample of 426 adolescents (51.6% female) from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort study were selected for longitudinal follow-up based on presence (n = 209) or absence (n = 217) of psychosis spectrum symptoms (PSS). At baseline, they completed assessments of demographic, TSEs, other psychopathology (e.g., PSS, anxiety, depression, and behavioral disorder) and family history of psychopathology. Schizotypal symptom dimensions (cognitive-perceptual, interpersonal and disorganized) were evaluated approximately two years later. RESULTS: More than half of adolescents experienced at least one type of TSE. Adolescents with assaultive trauma reported about 1.5 times as many symptoms on all three schizotypal symptom dimensions, compared to adolescents with non-assaultive TSE, adjusting for demographic and family history variables. No statistical significance was found after further adjusting for other baseline psychopathology (p > 0.05). There was a significant aggregate effect of TSEs on cognitive-perceptual symptoms with small effect size (p < 0.001, Cohen's f2 = 0.034). CONCLUSIONS: We found evidence of an association between aggregate TSEs and cognitive-perceptual symptoms, but trauma type was not associated with schizotypal symptom dimensions when controlling for potential confounders. Our findings highlight the importance of considering aggregate TSE effects and potential confounds when examining associations between TSEs and schizotypy. Trauma and psychosis spectrum screening may be important in the effort to provide trauma-informed care.

Body mass index increase in preschoolers with heterogeneous psychiatric diagnoses treated with risperidone.

OBJECTIVE: Use of risperidone in preschool-aged children is growing, with rising concerns of adverse metabolic consequences. Longitudinal data on risperidone-related weight gain in preschoolers are scarce. We aimed to evaluate changes in body mass index (BMI) that are associated with risperidone treatment in preschoolers. METHOD: We analyzed naturalistic, longitudinal data on 141 preschool children (112 boys, 29 girls) receiving psychiatric care. Mean patient age at baseline was 5.0 years (SD=0.8) and average follow-up period was 1.3 years (SD=0.8), with >8 mean BMI measurements per patient. We studied the effect of risperidone exposure (n=78) on age-and-sex-standardized BMI (BMI Z-score) implementing mixed models with random subject intercepts to account for repeated measures, covarying for multiple confounders including demographics, stimulant treatment and psychiatric diagnoses. We employed similar models to study dose and duration effects. RESULTS: Risperidone treatment was significantly associated with an increase in BMI (effect size of exposure=0.45 SD (SE=0.06), t (949)=7.7, p<0.001) covarying for stimulant exposure and other confounders, independent of treatment indication. Females exhibited stronger effects (risperidone treatment × sex interaction t=2.32, p=0.02)). Risperidone daily dose was associated with increase in BMI (for each additional 1 mg, effect size=0.28 SD (SE=0.07), t(419)=3.76, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Similar to older populations, risperidone treatment in preschoolers is associated with significant weight gain, with evidence for dose effects. Findings provide critical data that can inform clinicians.