Psychopathology and psychosocial functioning among young people with first-episode psychosis and/or first-presentation borderline personality disorder.

BACKGROUND: One in five young people with first-episode psychosis (FEP) also presents with borderline personality disorder (BPD) features. Among people diagnosed with BPD, auditory verbal hallucinations occur in 29-50 % and delusions in 10-100 %. Co-occurrence of psychotic symptoms and BPD is associated with greater clinical severity and greater difficulty accessing evidence based FEP care. This study aimed to investigate psychotic symptoms and psychosocial functioning among young people presenting to an early intervention mental health service. METHOD: According to the presence or absence of either FEP or BPD, 141 participants, aged 15-25 years, were assigned to one of four groups: FEP, BPD, combined FEP + BPD, or clinical comparison (CC) participants with neither FEP nor BPD. Participants completed semi-structured diagnostic interviews and interviewer and self-report measures of psychopathology and psychosocial functioning. RESULTS: The FEP + BPD group had significantly more severe psychopathology and poorer psychosocial functioning than the FEP group on every measure, apart from intensity of hallucinations. Comparing the FEP or BPD groups, the BPD group had greater psychopathology, apart from intensity of psychotic symptoms, which was significantly greater in the FEP group. These two groups did not significantly differ in their overall psychosocial functioning. Compared with CC young people, both the FEP + BPD and BPD groups differed significantly on every measure, with medium to large effect sizes. CONCLUSIONS: Young people with co-occurring FEP and BPD experience more severe difficulties than young people with either diagnosis alone. This combination of psychosis and severe personality pathology has been longitudinally associated with poorer outcomes among adults and requires specific clinical attention.

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. Data on residential status at entry in the project, as well as demographic, clinical and social variables, were collected using self-report and interviewer-rated questionnaires. Participants were classified as 'Homeless', 'At risk of homelessness' and 'Stably Housed', and correlates of residential status were identified through multivariate logistic regression and unbiased recursive partitioning. RESULTS: Among the 478 participants, 206 (43.1%) were in stable housing, 171 (35.8%) were at risk of homelessness and 101 (21.1%) were classified as homeless. Placement in a youth protection facility was strongly associated with adverse housing outcomes, while having a high school diploma and more social support were associated with more stable housing situations. CONCLUSIONS: First-time mental health service users are likely to experience a range of adverse housing situations, indicating the potential for clinical sites to implement homelessness primary prevention strategies. Factors related to family, foster care and schooling seem to be particularly salient in understanding risk of homelessness in first-time mental health service users, calling for intersectoral action to prevent adverse psychosocial outcomes in this population.

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). METHODS: The goal of AMONT is to examine the housing situations of individuals over 36 months after their initial contact with psychiatric services, and to identify environmental and individual correlates and predictors of housing outcomes. Participants complete a broad battery of instruments at baseline and follow-up assessments after 24 and 36 months. We explore housing stability following an initial episode of psychiatric service use from the perspective of service users, family members, and service providers, through qualitative interviews. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The findings from the AMONT study will yield a better understanding of the residential pathways of individuals with mental illness, from their first contact with psychiatric services and for 3 years subsequently. This will inform service providers, decision-makers and managers on the specific housing concerns and issues that affect first-time mental health service users. This in turn can lead to the development and implementation of evidence-informed practices and policies that aim to prevent instability and homelessness.

Are physical activity and nutrition linked to personality disorders? Health habits and personality disorders: A scoping review.

Individuals with personality disorders (PDs) have a decreased life expectancy compared with the general population in part due to physical illnesses. Many hypotheses have been suggested to explain those physical illnesses such as hormone imbalance, medication, lack of physical activity, and unhealthy diet. However, little is known about the relation between lifestyle and PDs. The purpose of this scoping review is to regroup the available information on this topic. We searched the literature up to February 2021 using four databases and found 21 articles analyzing the relation between lifestyle and PDs in observational studies including 153,081 participants from diverse populations going from general population to adults in psychiatric care. Most studies used measures of lifestyle as control variables or did not use lifestyle variables at all. Moreover, the instruments used to measure lifestyle variables lacked precision at best. Two studies demonstrated a relation between early malnutrition and further development of PDs, but those results may be influenced by confounding variables and cannot indicate a clear link between nutrition and personality disorder. The lack of solid evidence we observed is surprising, considering the multiple benefits individuals with PDs could get from a healthy lifestyle. More studies are needed to thoroughly analyze the impact of lifestyle on PDs and vice versa.

[Insomnia and suicide risk in cluster B personality disorder: A comparative cross-sectional study]. / Insomnie et risque suicidaire dans les troubles de la personnalité du groupe B : une étude comparative transversale.

Objective The suicide mortality rate among people suffering from cluster B personality disorders is estimated at approximately 20%. High occurrence of comorbid depression and anxiety, as well as substance abuse, are known contributors to this risk. Not only have recent studies indicated that insomnia may be a suicide risk factor, but it is also thought to be highly prevalent in this clinical group. However, the mechanisms explaining this association are still unknown. It has been suggested that emotion dysregulation and impulsivity may mediate the link between insomnia and suicide. In order to better understand the association between insomnia and suicide in cluster B personality disorders, it is important to consider the influence of comorbidities. The aims of this study were first to compare the levels of insomnia symptoms and impulsivity between a group of patients with cluster B personality disorder and a healthy control group and second, to measure the relationships between insomnia, impulsivity, anxiety, depression, substance abuse and suicide risk within the cluster B personality disorder sample. Methods Cross-sectional study including 138 patients (mean age = 33.74; 58.7% women) with cluster B personality disorder. Data from this group were extracted from a Quebec-based mental health institution database (Signature bank: www.banquesignature.ca) and were compared to that of 125 healthy subjects matched for age and sex, with no history of personality disorder. Patient diagnosis was determined by diagnostic interview upon admission to a psychiatric emergency service. Anxiety, depression, impulsivity and substance abuse were also assessed at that time point via self-administered questionnaires. Participants from the control group visited the Signature center to complete the questionnaires. A correlation matrix and multiple linear regression models were used to explore relations between variables. Results In general, more severe insomnia symptoms and higher levels of impulsivity distinguished the group of patients with cluster B personality from the sample of healthy subjects, although groups did not differ on total sleep time. When all variables were included as predictors in a linear regression model to estimate suicide risk, subjective sleep quality, lack of premeditation, positive urgency, depression level and substance use were significantly associated with higher scores on the Suicidal Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R). The model explained 46.7% of the variance of scores at the SBQ-R. Conclusion This study yields preliminary evidence indicating the possible implication of insomnia and impulsivity in suicide risk for individuals with cluster B personality disorder. It is proposed that this association seems to be independent of comorbidity and substance use levels. Future studies may shed light on the possible clinical relevance of addressing insomnia and impulsivity in this clinical population.

[Detecting and Treating Comorbid Disorders in First-Episode Psychosis: A Lever for Recovery]. / Détecter et traiter les troubles comorbides aux premiers épisodes psychotiques : un levier pour le rétablissement.

Objectives Comorbidities that are less well known than substance use disorders may occur in individuals experiencing a first-episode psychosis (FEP). This article reviews the importance of these comorbidities through a synthesis of the literature, informed by the authors' clinical experience. Methods Five main groups of comorbidities are discussed: anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders, depression, borderline personality disorder, gambling disorder and attention deficit disorder. For each of these disorders, data on their frequency, their impact on the outcome of affected individuals, their detection and treatment will be discussed and interpreted in light of the authors' clinical experience. Results These comorbidities have been relatively neglected by research, even more so in the specific context of FEP. Nevertheless, the data that are available suggest that they are very common in this population. For example, it is estimated that the prevalence of social anxiety disorder may be as high as 50% and obsessive-compulsive disorder 13.6%. The manifestations of these comorbid disorders are sometimes difficult to dissociate from those of the illness; several manifestations of the psychoses can be encountered in these comorbid disorders and vice versa. For example, the social withdrawal sometimes encountered in anxiety disorders or depression may be confused with negative symptoms; behavioural disturbances resulting from delusional beliefs or behavioural disorganization occurring in psychosis may lead to a misdiagnosis of a personality disorder; psychotic symptoms occurring in a personality disorder share characteristics with those occurring in psychotic disorders; cognitive difficulties associated with an attention deficit disorder may give the impression of being directly related to the psychotic disorder. In some cases, antipsychotic treatment may contribute to the emergence of manifestations of these comorbid disorders, for example, obsessive-compulsive disorder occurring on clozapine, or gambling disorder occurring during treatment with a dopamine agonist. While treatments for these comorbidities have been poorly evaluated in the FEP setting, available data and clinical experience suggest that treatments used in other populations, when adapted to the FEP setting, may be effective. Conclusion Overall, there is little literature addressing these comorbid disorders in FEP. Yet, the available evidence suggests that they are common, and that their detection and treatment can support recovery in individuals coping with FEP. Thus, it is essential to consider them from a recovery-oriented early intervention practice perspective.