ITAlian Partnership for Psychosis Prevention (ITAPP): improving the mental health of young people

Paolo Fusar-Poli, Amedeo Minichino, Paolo Brambilla, Andrea Raballo, Alessandro Bertolino, Renato Borgatti, Martina Mensi, Adele Ferro, Silvana Galderisi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Background The European impact of the clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P) paradigm is constrained by the lack of critical mass (detection) to power prognostic and preventive interventions. Methods An ITAlian partnership for psychosis prevention (ITAPP) was created across CHR-P centers, which were surveyed to describe: (a) service, catchment area, and outreach; (b) service users; and (c) interventions and outcomes. Descriptive statistics and Kaplan-Meier failure function complemented the analyses. Results The ITAPP included five CHR-P clinical academic centers established from 2007 to 2018, serving about 13 million inhabitants, with a recruitment capacity of 277 CHR-P individuals (mean age: 18.7 years, SD: 4.8, range: 12-39 years; 53.1% females; 85.7% meeting attenuated psychotic symptoms; 85.8% without any substance abuse). All centers were multidisciplinary and included adolescents and young adults (transitional) primarily recruited through healthcare services. The comprehensive assessment of at-risk mental state was the most widely used instrument, while the duration of follow-up, type of outreach, and preventive interventions were heterogeneous. Across 205 CHR-P individuals with follow up (663.7 days ± 551.7), the cumulative risk of psychosis increased from 8.7% (95% CI 5.3-14.1) at 1 year to 15.9% (95% CI 10.6-23.3) at 2 years, 21.8% (95% CI 14.9-31.3) at 3 years, 34.8% (95% CI 24.5-47.9) at 4 years, and 51.9% (95% CI 36.3-69.6) at 5 years. Conclusions The ITAPP is one of the few CHR-P clinical research partnerships in Europe for fostering detection, prognosis, and preventive care, as well as for translating research innovations into practice.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere62
Number of pages21
JournalEur Psychiatry
Volume64
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 21 2021

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