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BackgroundFew studies have explored whether high-anticholinergic load may hamper rehabilitation in persons with schizophrenia. We aim to explore the associations between anticholinergic load of psychotropic treatment and functioning or cognitive performances of persons with psychosis engaged in psychosocial rehabilitation.MethodsThe study was performed using data collected at baseline assessment in the REHABase cohort including persons referred to a French network of psychosocial rehabilitation centers. The composite-rating scale developed by Salahudeen et al. was used to rate the anticholinergic load of psychotropic drugs prescribed at baseline assessment. The associations between total anticholinergic load score (categorized as ‘low’ v. ‘high’ ⩾3) and functioning or cognitive characteristics were explored using multivariate analyses.ResultsOf the 1012 participants with schizophrenia spectrum disorders identified in the REHABase, half used at least two psychotropic drugs with anticholinergic activity and one out of three was prescribed at least one psychotropic drug with high-anticholinergic activity. High-anticholinergic load was significantly associated with lower stage of recovery [odds ratio (OR) = 1.70, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05–2.76, p = 0.03], poor mental well-being (OR = 1.55, 95% CI 1.02–2.33, p = 0.04) and poor self-rated medication adherence (OR = 2.14, 95% CI 1.29–3.53, p = 0.003). Regarding cognition, a high-anticholinergic score was associated with poorer delayed-episodic memory (OR = 1.69, 95% CI 1.01–2.85, p = 0.05) and at the trend level with faster completion time on the test exploring executive performance (OR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.43–1.04, p = 0.07).ConclusionsThe psychosocial rehabilitation plan of persons with psychosis should integrate optimization of psychotropic treatment in order to lessen the functional and cognitive impact of high-anticholinergic load.

Background: There is a lack of knowledge regarding the actionable key predictive factors of homelessness in psychiatric populations. Therefore, we used a machine learning model to explore the REHABase database (for rehabilitation database—n = 3416), which is a cohort of users referred to French psychosocial rehabilitation centers in France. Methods: First, we analyzed whether the different risk factors previously associated with homelessness in mental health were also significant risk factors in the REHABase. In the second step, we used unbiased classification and regression trees to determine the key predictors of homelessness. Post hoc analyses were performed to examine the importance of the predictors and to explore the impact of cognitive factors among the participants. Results:First, risk factors that were previously found to be associated with homelessness were also significant risk factors in the REHABase. Among all the variables studied with a machine learning approach, the most robust variable in terms of predictive value was the nature of the psychotropic medication (sex/sex relative mean predictor importance: 22.8, σ = 3.4). Post hoc analyses revealed that first-generation antipsychotics (15.61%; p < 0.05 FDR corrected), loxapine (16.57%; p < 0.05 FWER corrected) and hypnotics (17.56%; p < 0.05 FWER corrected) were significantly associated with homelessness. Antidepressant medication was associated with a protective effect against housing deprivation (9.21%; p < 0.05 FWER corrected). Conclusions: Psychotropic medication was found to be an important predictor of homelessness in our REHABase cohort, particularly loxapine and hypnotics. On the other hand, the putative protective effect of antidepressants confirms the need for systematic screening of depression and anxiety in the homeless population.

Background People suffering from schizophrenia cannot easily access employment in European countries. Different types of vocational programs coexist in France: supported employment, sheltered employment (ShE), and hybrid vocational programs. It is now acknowledged that the frequent cognitive impairments constitute a major obstacle to employment for people with schizophrenia. However, cognitive remediation (CR) is an evidence-based nonpharmacological treatment for these neurocognitive deficits. Methods RemedRehab was a multicentric randomized comparative open trial in parallel groups conducted in eight centers in France between 2013 and 2018. Participants were recruited into ShE firms before their insertion in employment (preparation phase). They were randomly assigned to cognitive training Cognitive Remediation for Schizophrenia (RECOS) or Treatment As Usual (TAU). The aim of the study was to compare with the benefits of the RECOS program on access to employment and work attendance for people with schizophrenia, measured by the ratio: number of hours worked on number of hours stipulated in the contract. Results Seventy-nine patients were included in the study between October 2018 and September 2019. Fifty-three patients completed the study. Hours worked / planned hours equal to 1 or greater than 1 were significantly higher in the RECOS group than in the TAU group. Conclusions Participants benefited from a RECOS individualized CR program allows a better rate of work attendance in ShE, compared to the ones benefited from TAU. Traditional vocational rehabilitation enhanced with individualized CR in a population of patients with schizophrenia is efficient on work attendance during the first months of work integration.

BackgroundStigma resistance (SR) is defined as one's ability to deflect or challenge stigmatizing beliefs. SR is positively associated with patient's outcomes in serious mental illness (SMI). SR appears as a promising target for psychiatric rehabilitation as it might facilitate personal recovery.ObjectivesThe objectives of the present study are: (i) to assess the frequency of SR in a multicentric non-selected psychiatric rehabilitation SMI sample; (ii) to investigate the correlates of high SRMethodsA total of 693 outpatients with SMI were recruited from the French National Centers of Reference for Psychiatric Rehabilitation cohort (REHABase). Evaluation included standardized scales for clinical severity, quality of life, satisfaction with life, wellbeing, and personal recovery and a large cognitive battery. SR was measured using internalized stigma of mental illness – SR subscale.ResultsElevated SR was associated with a preserved executive functioning, a lower insight into illness and all recovery-related outcomes in the univariate analyses. In the multivariate analysis adjusted by age, gender and self-stigma, elevated SR was best predicted by the later stages of personal recovery [rebuilding; p = 0.004, OR = 2.89 (1.36–4.88); growth; p = 0.005, OR = 2.79 (1.30–4.43)). No moderating effects of age and education were found.ConclusionThe present study has indicated the importance of addressing SR in patients enrolled in psychiatric rehabilitation. Recovery-oriented psychoeducation, metacognitive therapies and family interventions might improve SR and protect against insight-related depression. The effectiveness of psychiatric rehabilitation on SR and the potential mediating effects of changes in SR on treatment outcomes should be further investigated in longitudinal studies.

Objectives To explore whether clozapine users have specific rehabilitation needs compared to users of other antipsychotics. Methods The study was performed using the REHABase collecting data on persons referred to a French network of psychosocial rehabilitation centers. It was restricted to persons with schizophrenia spectrum disorder using antipsychotics. Multivariate analyses were used to compare baseline functioning and cognitive characteristics in clozapine users vs. users of other antipsychotics. Results Of the 675 patients identified in the REHABase, one out of ten (n = 70) used clozapine. Compared to users of other antipsychotics, clozapine users had been more frequently hospitalized in psychiatry and presented less frequently with psychoactive substance use. Functional measures did not significantly differ between the two groups. Clozapine users had poorer short-term verbal memory performance than users of other antipsychotics and did not differ on executive performance. Conclusion Clozapine users may reach a recovery level comparable to that obtained in persons without treatment-resistant schizophrenia. In order to reduce the negative impact of memory deficits on the recovery process of clozapine users, it is necessary to optimize their psychotropic treatment and to promote their access to cognitive remediation programs addressing their specific needs.

The REHABase project is a French observational, prospective, and multicenter cohort study of serious mental illness and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), launched in 2016 for a planned minimum duration of 15 years. The aim is to characterize the care and quality-of-life needs of participants. This article presents initial results from data collection.Psychosocial, cognitive, and functional data were collected at baseline, annually, and after rehabilitation care. Data from the baseline evaluation on diagnoses, medications, well-being, insight, life satisfaction, and care needs are presented. The clinical profiles of REHABase participants with serious mental illness or ASD were assessed in relation to their level of satisfaction with life and well-being in nine life dimensions and their needs, according to their stage of recovery in a five-stage model.Baseline data were collected for 1,397 participants between January 2016 and August 2018. Main diagnoses were schizophrenia spectrum disorder (49%); ASD (13%); and personality (12%), bipolar (9%), and major depressive (6%) disorders. More than 50% of participants reported needs for care or interventions in four of nine dimensions: employment, cognitive functioning, symptom management, and interpersonal relationships. Nearly half of participants were not in the active stages of recovery (stages 4 and 5), and even those considered to have reached the final stage continued to require help in several areas.Most participants had already received psychiatric care for several years, and most remained dissatisfied with their social and emotional life and their psychological well-being.