AUTHOR=Dangerfield Mark , Brotnow Decker Line 

TITLE=Mentalization based treatment of youth on the psychotic spectrum: clinical profiles and outcomes for youth in the ECID

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1206511

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1206511

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p>Early intervention may significantly improve the prognosis associated with psychotic disorders in adulthood.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>The present study examined the acceptability and effectiveness of a standalone intensive, in-home, mentalization-based treatment (MBT) for extremely high-risk, non-help-seeking youth on the psychotic spectrum [Equipo Clínico de Intervención a Domicilio (ECID), Home Intervention Clinical Team].</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Despite previously being unable to participate in treatment, more than 90% of youth engaged and those on the psychotic spectrum demonstrated slightly higher engagement than the general high-risk group (95% and 85%, respectively, <italic>X</italic><sub>1</sub> = 4.218, <italic>p</italic> = 0.049). Generalized estimating equation (GEE) models revealed no main group effect on the likelihood of reengaging with school over the first 12 months of treatment (<italic>X</italic><sub>1</sub> = 1.015, <italic>p</italic> = 0.314) when controlling for the duration of school absenteeism at intake. Overall, the percentage of school engagement rose from 12 to 55 over this period, more than 40% of the total sample experienced clinically reliable change and an additional 50% appeared clinically stable. No statistically significant difference was observed between the groups in the average change in HoNOSCA total severity score (<italic>X</italic><sub>1</sub> = 0.249, <italic>p</italic> = 0.618) or the distribution of youth into categories of clinical change during the first year of treatment (<italic>X</italic><sub>1</sub> = 0.068, <italic>p</italic> = 0.795).</p></sec><sec><title>Discussion</title><p>The present findings suggest that a mentalization based intervention may be able to engage extremely high-risk youth in treatment and have clinically meaningful impact on symptom severity and functioning after 12 months.</p></sec>