Psychiatry

Sometimes a study does not work.

A new study, published online in the Schizophrenia Bulletin (6 April 2017), shows that young people experiencing first episode psychosis have a much higher death rate than previously thought. The study used insurance claims data to identify approximately 5,000 young people aged 16-30 who had been diagnosed with a first episode of psychosis in 2008-2009, and used data from the Social Security Administration to identify deaths in this population within 12 months of the initial psychosis diagnosis. Results showed that the 12-month mortality rate for these young people -- from any cause -- was at least 24 times higher than their peers in the general population. In the general United States population, only individuals over age 70 come close to a similar 12-month mortality rate.

Schizophrenia is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. However, it is not clear whether schizophrenia confers an inherent risk for glucose dysregulation in the absence of the effects of chronic illness and long-term treatment. As a result, a study published in JAMA Psychiatry (2017;74:261-269) conducted a meta-analysis examining whether individuals with first-episode schizophrenia already exhibit alterations in glucose homeostasis compared with controls.