Functional outcome explored in those at risk for psychosis

(HealthDay)—Measures of social and role functioning predict functional outcome in those at clinical high risk for psychosis, and poor functional outcome is not entirely dependent on conversion to full-blown disease, according to research published online Sept. 4 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Ricardo E. Carrion, Ph.D., of the Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, N.Y., and colleagues conducted a prospective, naturalistic, longitudinal follow-up study of 100 patients to develop a predictive model of functional outcome in those at clinical high risk for psychosis.

The researchers found that poor social outcome was significantly associated with reduced processing speed (odds ratio [OR], 1.38), impaired social functioning at baseline (OR, 1.85), and total disorganized symptoms (OR, 5.06). Poor role outcome was significantly associated with reduced performance on tests for verbal memory (OR, 1.74), role functioning at baseline (OR, 1.34), and motor disturbances (OR, 1.77). Among high-risk patients who did not convert to psychosis, 40.3 percent had poor social outcomes and 45.5 percent had poor role outcomes.

"Results from this study support the increasing emphasis on functional decline as a critically important outcome that parallels conversion to psychosis and suggest that both psychosis and long-term functional disability are equally important targets for prevention," the authors write.

Several study authors disclosed financial ties to pharmaceutical companies.