(November 28, 2018) Research Roundup is a monthly public service of the Office of Research and Public Affairs. Each edition describes a striking new data point about serious mental illness and summarizes recently published research reports or developments.
DATAPOINT of the Month
- 659 psychiatric hospitals in the United States, 69% of which are privately operating.
According to 2017 data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Mental Health Services Survey, there are 659 free-standing psychiatric hospitals in the United States. The majority of these hospitals are privately operated, according to the data. Information on the number of beds in these facilities and whether they are Institutions of Mental Diseases was not collected by the survey.
RESEARCH of the Month
- Cigarette smoking may lead to cognitive issues in individuals with psychosis.
Cigarette smoking is associated with cognitive deficits in individuals with psychosis, according to new research. Patients with psychosis, their siblings, and healthy controls were evaluated for their smoking behaviors and cognitive measurements such as working memory, problem solving, and reasoning and were re-tested at three and six years follow-up. Consistent with previous research, individuals with psychosis had rates of smoking two times higher than their siblings and three times higher than individuals without psychosis. Individuals who were smokers, regardless of having mental illness or not, had lower scores on cognitive measurements than those that were not smokers. Individuals with psychosis who quit smoking show improvements in some cognitive abilities, according to the results. The rapid recovery of cognitive abilities after quitting highlights the importance of smoking cessation programs for individuals with serious mental illness.
Vermeulen, J. M. et al. (2018). Association between smoking behavior and cognitive functioning in patients with psychosis, siblings, and healthy control subjects: Results from a prospective 6-year follow-up study. The American Journal of Psychiatry. - Association of city living and psychotic disorders and its implications
Across the globe, it has been observed that there are higher rates of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders in cities as compared to rural areas. This has been replicated in epidemiological studies across Europe and North America, statistically controlling for other factors that might bias the results such a social isolation or poverty. The association between city living and high rates of psychotic disorders does not hold true for low- and middle-income countries, however. These heterogeneous results have important implications, according to the authors of a new viewpoint article in JAMA Psychiatry. One can neither conclude that the mixed results mean there is no association between urbanicity and schizophrenia nor that city living itself is a cause of this association, the authors argue. More research is needed into the incidence and prevalence of psychotic disorders in urban and rural areas to further inform these discussions.
Kirkbride, J. B., et al. (2018). City living and psychotic disorders: Implications of global heredity and theory development. JAMA Psychiatry. - Coordinated specialty care improves outcomes among individuals with early psychosis.
OnTrackNY, a statewide coordinated specialty care treatment program for individuals with early psychosis has improved social and psychiatric outcomes after enrollment, according to new research. Lisa Dixon, MD, MPH, and colleagues from Columbia University evaluated the coordinated specialty care program for New York State for individuals who are 16 to 30 years of age with a recent-onset of psychosis. The findings indicate a significant reduction in psychiatric hospitalization after enrollment into the treatment program, as well as increases in employment and education rates after six months.
Nossel, I., et al. (2018). Results of a coordinated specialty care program for early psychosis and predictors of outcome. Psychiatric Services.
Elizabeth Sinclair
Research Associate
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Research Weekly is a summary published as a public service of the Treatment Advocacy Center and does not necessarily reflect the findings or positions of the organization or its staff. Full access to research summarized may require a fee or paid subscription to the publications.
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