Search

Background: Literature has typically associated delusional disorder with a poorer prognosis relative to schizophrenia, without considering the confounding effect of age despite the differential age of onset. This study therefore aims to investigate the diagnostic stability, clinical, functional, and neurocognitive differences of Chinese first-episode psychosis age-matched patients with delusional disorder and schizophrenia at four years., Methods: 71 delusional disorder and 71 age-matched schizophrenia patients were followed up for four years after their initial episode. Their symptoms, insight in psychosis, side effects of medication, medication compliance, functioning, and neurocognitive performance were assessed at four years., Results: At four years, 65% of DD patients maintained the same diagnosis, while the rest shifted to SZ. Only those without a diagnostic shift were included in the analysis. Delusional disorder patients (n = 46) experienced greater general psychopathology and poorer insight, but better attitude towards medication than schizophrenia patients (n = 71). Social and occupational functioning, quality of life, and cognitive functioning, however, were similar in delusional disorder and schizophrenia patients., Conclusions: Results indicate that delusional disorder is less diagnostically stable than schizophrenia. Their outcomes in a Chinese population were largely similar at four years after removing the confounding age factor, implying that delusional disorder and schizophrenia may not be as distinct as previously thought., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Exercise interventions can improve clinical symptoms and cognition in patients with psychosis in addition to their physical health. However, their benefits may not be maximally generalised to those who cannot access gymnasium facilities, which were commonly required previously. This study evaluated a 12-week community exercise programme named FITMIND, which aims to help patients with psychosis establish exercise habits through easy-to-learn aerobic exercise and yoga, with the support of trained volunteers., Method: This study analysed the profiles of 49 patients with psychosis who were referred by the case manager of the early psychosis programme in the public hospital in Hong Kong or enrolled in the programme through the project website. The outcome measures were working memory, physical activity (PA) participation, quality of life, and mood symptoms., Results: At baseline, seven participants (14.3%) met the recommendation of the PA for severe mental illnesses. After the 12-week programme, participants demonstrated significant improvement in vigorous-intensity PA, moderate-to-vigorous PA, compliance with international guidelines for PA, and mood symptoms., Conclusion: The FITMIND exercise programme is a feasible community-based intervention that can improve PA participation and mood in patients with psychosis. Further systematic studies are needed to examine the long-term beneficial effects of the programme., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: The development of a valid and simple-to-use self-administered tool in Asian adolescents for clinical screening and intervention remains limited. The present study assessed the psychometric characteristics and validity of the Generalised Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 (GAD-7) among adolescents in Hong Kong., Methods: Epidemiological data from 3,261 Hong Kong adolescents aged 15 - 24 years were analysed for the construct validity, criterion validity, concurrent validity, and Rasch Model. All analyses were age- and gender-weighted according to the distributions of Hong Kong's general population., Results: The GAD-7 showed high internal consistency and strong fit to the one-factor structure. The best cut-off value was set at 7 or more. Regression models found that the total scores of the scale were positively associated with symptoms of depression and hypomania, schizotypal personality and alcohol dependence. Rasch model analysis found that the separation index was 2.18 and 16.51 for the respondents and items, respectively and all residual pairs had small correlation coefficients (i.e., < 0.3)., Conclusions: All psychometric findings presented in this study support the use of the GAD-7 as a legitimate measure of anxiety severity. A cut-off score of 7 should indicate a potential diagnosable condition in Asian adolescents, which requires our attention but should not be used as a formal diagnostic screening tool. The findings revealed the local dependence of the items of the GAD-7 and that the scale can separate respondents into at least two groups and items into numerous groups according to the separation index., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the changes in perceived public stigma (PPS) towards psychosis, and endorsement of medication treatment between 2009 to 2018 in the Hong Kong Chinese population.The role of education level on the changes in PPS and endorsement of medication treatment for psychosis was also examined., Methods: Telephone survey of the general population was conducted in 2009, 2014, and 2018. PPS was assessed using the revised Link's Perceived Discrimination-Devaluation Scale. Endorsement of medication was measured using an item asking if individuals with psychosis requires medication to manage their symptoms. Education level was separated into three categories (primary, secondary, and tertiary) for analysis. Factorial analysis of covariance was used to examine the main effects of survey year, education and endorsement of medication on stigma, and the interaction between survey year and education level, and survey year and endorsement of medication on PPS., Results: 1016, 1018, and 1514 respondents completed the surveys in 2009, 2014, and 2018, respectively. PPS was found to be stable across the three public surveys. Endorsement of medication treatment was associated with higher PPS. An interaction effect between survey year and education level onPPS was observed. PPS was significantly lower and fewer respondents endorsed medication treatment in 2018 in the tertiary education group than in previous years., Conclusion: Current findings suggest that a targeted approach may be required for different education groups when developing anti-stigma public campaigns. Inclusion of other aspects of knowledge about psychosis may also be useful in reduction of PPS., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Individuals with psychiatric disorders are often unwilling to seek help or often follow treatment regimens, fearing public stigma. This study identified the sociodemographic correlates of public stigma while accounting for mental health literacy and life satisfaction., Methods: This study analysed data for 1514 individuals who participated in a population-based random telephone survey conducted in 2018. Sociodemographic characteristics included gender, age, education level, and occupation. Data on public stigma, mental health literacy, and life satisfaction were also collected. Multiple linear regression was conducted to examine the effects of sociodemographic characteristics on public stigma. A moderation analysis was performed to investigate the role of age and education in the relationship between mental health literacy and public stigma., Results: Sociodemographic characteristics, such as female gender, older age, lower education, and occupation (particularly retired and homemakers), were associated with a higher public stigma. The association between public stigma and mental health literacy was the most significant among individuals aged 50 years and above with lower education levels., Conclusions: This study showed that certain population subgroups, based on their sociodemographic profile, have a higher stigma about mental illnesses. Understanding the differential effects of sociodemographic factors on public stigma is imperative to developing effective anti-stigma campaigns.