Polish individuals with an at‐risk mental state: demographic and clinical characteristics

Abstract

Polish ARMS individuals are help-seeking young people most commonly presenting APS or vulnerability features. Despite a high level of psychosocial dysfunction, these individuals remain educationally active. Most individuals showed comorbid diagnoses (commonly depressive or anxiety disorders). Despite some differences resulting from the socioeconomic situation of the country or the specificity of the mental health services, the characteristics of the sample remain consistent with descriptions of ARMS populations worldwide. This study reaffirms the need for organizing early intervention services in non-stigmatizing settings.

Gender differences in first self‐perceived signs and symptoms in patients with an at‐risk mental state and first‐episode psychosis

“…These studies also pointed towards more negative symptoms in men and more (sub-threshold) positive symptoms in women in ARMS and FEP patients. However, as already discussed earlier, other studies could not confirm these findings and did not reveal significant gender differences in the psychopathology of ARMS and FEP patients (e.g., Bertani et al, 2012, Gonzalez-Rodriguez et al, 2014, Kotlicka-Antczak et al, 2016. In an attempt to synthesize the above findings, it might be speculated that small gender differences in symptoms of the emerging disease exist, with more negative and cognitive symptoms in men and more anxiety or affective/ (sub-threshold) positive symptoms in women.…”

Terminology and assessment tools of psychosis: A systematic narrative review

“…‘Attenuated psychotic symptoms’ (APS) were often described within ARMS . APS are ‘symptoms characteristic of psychosis but reduced in intensity’, ‘psychotic symptoms sub‐threshold either in intensity or frequency’, and ‘abnormal beliefs, perceptions, or speech’ and ‘subthreshold delusions and hallucinations’ . All definitions emphasized APS are below a ‘threshold’.…”

“…All definitions emphasized APS are below a ‘threshold’. APS has been discussed as a psychosis risk factor, while acknowledged that many will never transition to psychosis . In contrast, its role in the psychotic prodrome has also been emphasized .…”

“…72 Attenuated Psychotic Symptoms 'Attenuated psychotic symptoms' yielded eight papers with definitions, and 12 different tools among 17 papers were used to measure this term (Supporting Information - Table 2). intensity or frequency', 74 and 'abnormal beliefs, perceptions, or speech' 6 and 'subthreshold delusions and hallucinations'. 75 All definitions emphasized APS are below a 'threshold'.…”

“…APS has been discussed as a psychosis risk factor, while acknowledged that many will never transition to psychosis. 74,75 In contrast, its role in the psychotic prodrome has also been emphasized. 6,73 For instance, a study which aimed to identify psychosis prodromes among children described APS as 'subthreshold hallucinations and delusions'.…”