Across the United States, there has been an increase in the number of individuals with serious mental illness found incompetent to stand trial and court-ordered to a state hospital for competency restoration. This trend is coupled with a decrease of individuals admitted to state hospitals for civil commitment.  

Reducing the duration of untreated psychosis is vital to improving quality of life and long-term outcomes. Early detection programs that identify and refer individuals with early psychosis to coordinated specialty care programs are one way to reduce DUP.

Reasarch Roundup is a monthly public service of the Office of Research and Public Affairs. Each edition describes a striking new data point about severe mental illness and summarizes recently published research reports or developments. 

Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are two of the most difficult mental illnesses to treat. Accordingly, funding for research into treatments that improve quality of life and decrease symptoms for people living with these severe mental illnesses (SMI) is essential.

Substance use disorders are estimated to be present in 45% of people with serious mental illness. People with serious mental illness who use substances such as tobacco, alcohol, or drugs are more likely to have more frequent hospitalizations, more severe symptoms, poorer medication adherence, and a higher death rate. Decreasing the frequency and severity of substance use among people with serious mental illness is crucial.

Research Roundup is a monthly public service of the Office of Research and Public Affairs. Each edition describes a striking new data point about severe mental illness and summarizes recently published research reports or developments. 

The level of abuse, neglect, and incarceration among people with severe mental illness who are experiencing homelessness in the United States is “an unacceptable humanitarian crisis,” according to the authors of a recent article in the “Journal of the American Medical Association.” In this article, researchers from Harvard Medical School discuss the importance of providing a continuum of outpatient and inpatient care for people with severe mental illness who are experiencing homelessness.

New York’s 2009 evaluation of their assisted outpatient treatment program (AOT) is the cornerstone of the existing research literature on AOT. Much of what we know about AOT is from that evaluation, including how AOT programs can be cost-effective through the significant reductions in inpatient hospitalizations seen among AOT participants.

Clozapine is the only FDA-approved medication for treatment-resistant schizophrenia but remains underutilized in the United States and around the world. In this week’s “Research Weekly,” two articles are summarized that discuss the Clozapine Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS).  

Research Roundup is a monthly public service of the Office of Research and Public Affairs. Each edition describes a striking new data point about severe mental illness and summarizes recently published research reports or developments. This month’s roundup is in honor of Minority Mental Health Month.