Cross‐sectional and longitudinal associations between cardiometabolic measures and clinical stage in young people accessing early intervention mental health services

Abstract

AimThis retrospective cohort study aimed to identify the cardiometabolic characteristics, cross‐sectionally and longitudinally, associated with clinical stage in youth accessing early intervention mental health services.MethodsCardiometabolic data we collected in 511 young people (aged 12–25 years at entry) receiving mental health care at the early intervention services in Sydney, Australia.ResultsThe majority of young people (N = 448, 87.67%) were classified in stage 1a or 1b at entry. At entry to care, there was no cross‐sectional relationship between clinical stage and age, gender, fasting insulin, fasting glucose, updated homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA2‐IR) score, BMI or waist circumference. Of the 111 (21.7%) young people initially classified at stage 1a (‘non‐specific symptoms’) and the 337 (65.9%) classified in stage 1b (‘attenuated syndromes’), 40 individuals transitioned to stage 2+ (7.8%) (“full‐threshold disorders”) longitudinally. No cardiometabolic factors predicted clinical stage transitions. However, those with an increase in BMI over the course of care (n = 54) were 1.46 (OR; 95% CI: 1.02–2.17) times more likely to progress to stage 2+ at follow up.ConclusionsWhilst no relationships were found between demographic or cardiometabolic variables and clinical stage at entry to care, an increased BMI over time was associated with clinical stage transition longitudinally. Further longitudinal research is needed to understand the demographic, clinical, illness progression or treatment factors associated with changes in cardiometabolic status.

What is the true nature of the relationship between metabolic disturbance, specifically of glucose and insulin metabolism, and depressive and other mood disorders?

“…However, more recent research, particularly among younger cohorts with less exposure to medical treatments challenges these assumptions (Scott et al, 2019;Wilson et al, 2023). Here, there is a far less clear association between weight gain and blood glucose, but there does appear to be evidence of insulin resistance emerging early in the course of illness.…”