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Introduction: The risk factors for a first episode of psychosis in low and middle‐income countries (LMICs) are not well described. The study compared the association of different risk factors in patients with first‐episode psychosis patients and healthy controls from an LMIC context. Methods: A comparative, descriptive, cross‐sectional study was performed in antipsychotic naïve first‐episode psychosis patients and healthy controls at the National referral hospital in Uganda. Standardized tools were used to assess sociodemographic (e.g., age, sex, socioeconomic status) and clinical (e.g., childhood trauma, quality of life) variables. First episode psychosis participants were compared to healthy controls in terms of sociodemographic and clinical variables, and logistic regression was used to determine predictors of FEP. Results: Our final sample included 198 antipsychotic naïve first‐episode psychosis participants and 82 controls. Most participants were female (68.5%) with a mean age of 29.4 years. After adjusting for age and sex, FEP patients when compared to controls were less likely to be female [AOR 0.18 (95%CI 0.03–0.85; p =.031)], more likely to have experienced emotional abuse [AOR 1.30 (95%CI 1.02–1.65; p =.032)] and more likely to have a poor quality of life [AOR 0.93 (95%CI 0.89–0.97; p =.002)]. Discussion: The risk factors for a first episode of psychosis in this low and middle‐income population were like those described in high‐income countries. Further studies on interventions to prevent the transition to psychotic disorders in this sub‐groups of patients are recommended. Also, the use of specialized early intervention services in improving the quality of life needs to be evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The MATRICS consensus cognitive battery (MCCB) is the gold standard for neuropsychological assessment in psychotic disorders but is rarely used in low resource settings. This study used the MCCB to determine the prevalence, profile and associations of various exposures with cognitive impairment in Ugandan first-episode psychosis patients., Methods: Patients and matched healthy controls were recruited at Butabika Hospital in Uganda. Clinical variables were first collated, and after the resolution of psychotic symptoms, a neuropsychological assessment of seven cognitive domains was performed using the MCCB. Cognitive impairment was defined as two standard deviations (SD) below the mean in one domain or 1SD below the mean in two domains. Descriptive statistics determined the prevalence and profile of impairment while regression models determined the association between various exposures with cognitive scores while controlling for age, sex and education., Results: Neuropsychological assessment with the MCCB found the burden of cognitive impairment in first-episode psychosis patients five times that of healthy controls. The visual learning and memory domain was most impaired in first-episode psychosis patients, while it was the working memory domain for the healthy controls. Increased age was associated with impairment in the domains of the speed of processing (p < 0.001) and visual learning and memory (p = 0.001). Cassava-rich diets and previous alternative and complementary therapy use were negatively associated with impairment in the visual learning (p = 0.04) and attention/vigilance domains (p = 0.012), respectively. There were no significant associations between sex, history of childhood trauma, or illness severity with any cognitive domain., Conclusion: A significant burden of cognitive impairment in Ugandan first-episode psychosis patients is consistent with prior data from other contexts. However, the profile of and risk factors for impairment differ from that described in such work. Therefore, interventions to reduce cognitive impairment in FEP patients specific to this setting, including dietary modifications, are required., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2021 The Authors.)