While early intervention in psychosis (EIP) programs have been increasingly implemented across the globe, many initiatives from Africa, Asia and Latin America are not widely known. The aims of the current review are (a) to describe population-based and small-scale, single-site EIP programs in Africa, Asia and Latin America, (b) to examine the variability between programs located in low-and-middle income (LMIC) and high-income countries in similar regions and (c) to outline some of the challenges and provide recommendations to overcome existing obstacles.

EIP programs in Africa, Asia and Latin America were identified through experts from the different target regions. We performed a systematic search in Medline, Embase, APA PsycInfo, Web of Science and Scopus up to February 6, 2024.

Most EIP programs in these continents are small-scale, single-site programs that serve a limited section of the population. Population-based programs with widespread coverage and programs integrated into primary health care are rare. In Africa, EIP programs are virtually absent. Mainland China is one of the only LMICs that has begun to take steps toward developing a population-based EIP program. High-income Asian countries (e.g. Hong Kong and Singapore) have well-developed, comprehensive programs for individuals with early psychosis, while others with similar economies (e.g. South Korea and Japan) do not. In Latin America, Chile is the only country in the process of providing population-based EIP care.

Financial resources and integration in mental health care, as well as the availability of epidemiological data on psychosis, impact the implementation of EIP programs. Given the major treatment gap of early psychosis in Africa, Latin America and large parts of Asia, publicly funded, locally-led and accessible community-based EIP care provision is urgently needed.

We examined whether cannabis use contributes to the increased risk of psychotic disorder for non-western minorities in Europe.

We used data from the EU-GEI study (collected at sites in Spain, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands) on 825 first-episode patients and 1026 controls. We estimated the odds ratio (OR) of psychotic disorder for several groups of migrants compared with the local reference population, without and with adjustment for measures of cannabis use.

The OR of psychotic disorder for non-western minorities, adjusted for age, sex, and recruitment area, was 1.80 (95% CI 1.39–2.33). Further adjustment of this OR for frequency of cannabis use had a minimal effect: OR = 1.81 (95% CI 1.38–2.37). The same applied to adjustment for frequency of use of high-potency cannabis. Likewise, adjustments of ORs for most sub-groups of non-western countries had a minimal effect. There were two exceptions. For the Black Caribbean group in London, after adjustment for frequency of use of high-potency cannabis the OR decreased from 2.45 (95% CI 1.25–4.79) to 1.61 (95% CI 0.74–3.51). Similarly, the OR for Surinamese and Dutch Antillean individuals in Amsterdam decreased after adjustment for daily use: from 2.57 (95% CI 1.07–6.15) to 1.67 (95% CI 0.62–4.53).

The contribution of cannabis use to the excess risk of psychotic disorder for non-western minorities was small. However, some evidence of an effect was found for people of Black Caribbean heritage in London and for those of Surinamese and Dutch Antillean heritage in Amsterdam.

Affiliating with delinquent peers may stimulate the development of antisocial behavior, especially for adolescents who are sensitive to social rewards. The current study examines whether the association between delinquent peer affiliation (DPA) and disruptive behavior interacts with functional brain correlates of reward sensitivity in early onset male adolescents delinquents.

Childhood arrestees (n = 126, mean age = 17.7 [s.d. 1.6]) completed a DPA questionnaire, and participated in an fMRI study in which reward sensitivity was operationalized through responsiveness of the ventral striatum (VS), amygdala, and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) during the monetary incentive delay paradigm (reward anticipation and outcome). Symptoms of disruptive behavior disorders (DBD) were assessed through structured psychiatric interviews (Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children) with adolescents.

DPA had a main effect on DBD symptoms. Adolescents with high VS reward responses showed a stronger significant positive association between DPA and DBD symptoms compared to low VS responders. No evidence for an interaction effect was found for the amygdala and mPFC. Post-hoc analyses revealed the positive association between DPA and DBD was only present in males, with a diminishing effect as age increased.

We found evidence for a biosocial interaction between DPA and reward sensitivity of the VS in relation to DBD symptom severity. This study provides the first evidence of an interaction effect between a brain mechanism and an environmental factor in relation to DBD symptoms, implying that susceptibility to influences of delinquent peers may intertwine with individual biological differences.

Psychosis rates are higher among some migrant groups. We hypothesized that psychosis in migrants is associated with cumulative social disadvantage during different phases of migration.

We used data from the EUropean Network of National Schizophrenia Networks studying Gene-Environment Interactions (EU-GEI) case-control study. We defined a set of 3 indicators of social disadvantage for each phase: pre-migration, migration, and post-migration.

249 cases and 219 controls were assessed. Pre-migration (OR 1.61, 95%CI 1.06-2.44, p=0.027) and postmigration social disadvantages (OR 1.89, 95%CI 1.02-3.51, p=0.044), along with expectations/achievements mismatch (OR 1.14, 95%CI 1.03-1.26, p=0.014) were all significantly associated with psychosis. We found a dose-response effect between number of adversities across all phases and odds of psychosis (≥6: OR 14.09, 95%CI 2.06-96-47, p=0.007).

The cumulative effect of social disadvantages before, during and after migration was associated with increased odds of psychosis in migrants, independently of ethnicity or length of stay in the country of arrival. Public health initiatives that address the social disadvantages that many migrants face during the whole migration process and post-migration psychological support may be reduce the excess of psychosis in migrants.

None Declared

People living with HIV (PLHIV) experience higher levels of mental health issues compared to the general population. Especially depression, anxiety, impulsivity and substance use occur frequently in PLHIV. This is thought to have important consequences for quality of life, sexual risk behaviour and antiretroviral treatment (ART) adherence. Both in PLHIV as well as in the general population, divergent psychiatric symptoms often co-occur, and influence one another.

To assess the interrelatedness of psychiatric symptoms and their potential consequences in PLHIV.

Data from 1615 outpatient PLHIV using suppressive ART from the 2000HIV study (NCT03994835) were analysed. Participants reported on the severity of substance use (MATE-Q), depression and anxiety (HADS), impulsivity (BIS-11), quality of life (EQ-5D-5L), ART adherence (MASS-8) and sexual risk behaviour. For these variables, prevalence rates and mean scores were calculated. After binarizing the data, an Ising network model was constructed. Using this network, interrelations between psychiatric symptoms were assessed, the centrality of symptoms was estimated and connections with clinical consequences were explored.

In our cohort of PLHIV, the increased prevalence of substance use was most pronounced, as shown by a prevalence rate of 28.7% for smoking, 13.6% for cannabis use, 11.1% for heavy alcohol drinking and 9.2% for ecstasy use in the past month. The network analysis revealed that symptoms of depression and anxiety were most strongly interrelated. The depressive symptom “feeling slowed down” was one of the most central symptoms, and was most strongly connected with quality of life. Substance use was associated with a higher occurrence of sexually transmitted diseases, and this relationship was mediated by a higher number of sexual partners. Notably, ART adherence did not display any connections with depression, anxiety, impulsivity or substance use.

Image:

The high occurrence of substance use and its link with sexual risk behaviour, emphasizes it’s role as a potential target for prevention of HIV transmission. Contrary to general assumption, psychiatric symptoms are not associated with lower levels of ART adherence in our cohort. Treatment of depression in PLHIV might be improved by focussing on the symptom of feeling slowed down, since this symptom was most strongly connected with quality of life.

E. Meeder Grant / Research support from: ViiV Healthcare, M. Blaauw: None Declared, L. van Eekeren: None Declared, A. Groenendijk: None Declared, W. Vos: None Declared, Q. de Mast: None Declared, W. Blok: None Declared, A. Verbon: None Declared, M. Berrevoets: None Declared, J. van Lunzen Employee of: ViiV Healthcare, L. Joosten: None Declared, M. Netea: None Declared, V. Matzaraki: None Declared, A. van der Ven: None Declared, A. Schellekens: None Declared

Child maltreatment (CM) and migrant status are independently associated with psychosis. We examined prevalence of CM by migrant status and tested whether migrant status moderated the association between CM and first-episode psychosis (FEP). We further explored whether differences in CM exposure contributed to variations in the incidence rates of FEP by migrant status.

We included FEP patients aged 18–64 years in 14 European sites and recruited controls representative of the local populations. Migrant status was operationalized according to generation (first/further) and region of origin (Western/non-Western countries). The reference population was composed by individuals of host country's ethnicity. CM was assessed with Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Prevalence ratios of CM were estimated using Poisson regression. We examined the moderation effect of migrant status on the odds of FEP by CM fitting adjusted logistic regressions with interaction terms. Finally, we calculated the population attributable fractions (PAFs) for CM by migrant status.

We examined 849 FEP cases and 1142 controls. CM prevalence was higher among migrants, their descendants and migrants of non-Western heritage. Migrant status, classified by generation (likelihood test ratio:χ2 = 11.3, p = 0.004) or by region of origin (likelihood test ratio:χ2 = 11.4, p = 0.003), attenuated the association between CM and FEP. PAFs for CM were higher among all migrant groups compared with the reference populations.

The higher exposure to CM, despite a smaller effect on the odds of FEP, accounted for a greater proportion of incident FEP cases among migrants. Policies aimed at reducing CM should consider the increased vulnerability of specific subpopulations.

Psychosis rates are higher among some migrant groups. We hypothesized that psychosis in migrants is associated with cumulative social disadvantage during different phases of migration.

We used data from the EUropean Network of National Schizophrenia Networks studying Gene-Environment Interactions (EU-GEI) case–control study. We defined a set of three indicators of social disadvantage for each phase: pre-migration, migration and post-migration. We examined whether social disadvantage in the pre- and post-migration phases, migration adversities, and mismatch between achievements and expectations differed between first-generation migrants with first-episode psychosis and healthy first-generation migrants, and tested whether this accounted for differences in odds of psychosis in multivariable logistic regression models.

In total, 249 cases and 219 controls were assessed. Pre-migration (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.06–2.44, p = 0.027) and post-migration social disadvantages (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.02–3.51, p = 0.044), along with expectations/achievements mismatch (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.03–1.26, p = 0.014) were all significantly associated with psychosis. Migration adversities (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.672–2.06, p = 0.568) were not significantly related to the outcome. Finally, we found a dose–response effect between the number of adversities across all phases and odds of psychosis (⩾6: OR 14.09, 95% CI 2.06–96.47, p = 0.007).

The cumulative effect of social disadvantages before, during and after migration was associated with increased odds of psychosis in migrants, independently of ethnicity or length of stay in the country of arrival. Public health initiatives that address the social disadvantages that many migrants face during the whole migration process and post-migration psychological support may reduce the excess of psychosis in migrants.

In Europe, the incidence of psychotic disorder is high in certain migrant and minority ethnic groups (hence: ‘minorities’). However, it is unknown how the incidence pattern for these groups varies within this continent. Our objective was to compare, across sites in France, Italy, Spain, the UK and the Netherlands, the incidence rates for minorities and the incidence rate ratios (IRRs, minorities v. the local reference population).

The European Network of National Schizophrenia Networks Studying Gene–Environment Interactions (EU-GEI) study was conducted between 2010 and 2015. We analyzed data on incident cases of non-organic psychosis (International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition, codes F20–F33) from 13 sites.

The standardized incidence rates for minorities, combined into one category, varied from 12.2 in Valencia to 82.5 per 100 000 in Paris. These rates were generally high at sites with high rates for the reference population, and low at sites with low rates for the reference population. IRRs for minorities (combined into one category) varied from 0.70 (95% CI 0.32–1.53) in Valencia to 2.47 (95% CI 1.66–3.69) in Paris (test for interaction: p = 0.031). At most sites, IRRs were higher for persons from non-Western countries than for those from Western countries, with the highest IRRs for individuals from sub-Saharan Africa (adjusted IRR = 3.23, 95% CI 2.66–3.93).

Incidence rates vary by region of origin, region of destination and their combination. This suggests that they are strongly influenced by the social context.

The incidence of psychotic disorders is increased among men and culminates in adolescence. After menopause, there is a second peak in the incidence among women. It has therefore been suggested that sex steroids, such as oxytocin and testosterone, may confer decreased or increased risks for psychotic disorders.

To investigate differences in peripheral oxytocin and testosterone plasma levels in patients with a first psychotic episode, their unaffected siblings and healthy controls.

Plasma hormone assays of oxytocin and testosterone were obtained from 85 patients with a psychotic disorder, 27 of their unaffected siblings and 59 healthy controls. Sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG) was collected to calculate the free androgen index (FAI; testosterone/SHBG), a broad indicator of androgen status. We analyzed group differences in hormone levels, as well as associations with demographic and illness parameters.

There were no significant differences in plasma oxytocin levels or FAI across groups. Adjusted for age, smoking, time of blood draw and BMI, we found a significant group difference in plasma testosterone levels in males (F(6,72)= 2.8; p<0.05), not in females. This effect was primarily caused by significantly higher mean plasma testosterone levels in antipsychotic-naive men (n=15) compared to their unaffected brothers (p<0.01) and healthy controls (p<0.05).

This study contradicts previous findings of decreased testosterone and oxytocin levels in patients with a psychotic disorder. Increased plasma testosterone in antipsychotic-naive male patients may reflect social distrust and paranoid thinking. It further underlines a potential mechanism of antipsychotic medication of normalizing androgen activity.

To estimate the risk of developing autism-spectrum disorder (ASD) in children born to immigrants as compared to children of Dutch-born parents.

Retrospective, population-based cohort study of all live births (N= 106,953) between 1998 and 2007 in a circumscribed geographical region in the Netherlands. Cohort members were linked to the Psychiatric Case Register to identify diagnosed cases.

518 cases of ASD were identified, including 150 children with autism and 368 children with Asperger syndrome or PDD-NOS. Children born to migrants from developing countries were at significantly lower risk of ASD (rate ratio (RR)= 0.6, 95% (CI) 0.5-0.9) than children of Dutch-born parents. Within the ASD group, the risk for the subgroup with Asperger syndrome and PDD-NOS was reduced (RR= 0.4, 95% CI 0.3-0.6), whereas that for narrowly defined autism was nonsignificantly increased (RR= 1.4, 95% CI 0.9-2.4). Migrant groups did not differ in age at diagnosis.

The results echo Swedish findings indicating a reversal of risk gradient in children of parents from developing countries, specifically a decreased risk for high-functioning and increased risk for low-functioning autism.

The author has not supplied his declaration of competing interest.

Ethnic minority groups in Western countries face an increased risk of psychotic disorders. Causes of this long-standing public health inequality remain poorly understood. We investigated whether social disadvantage, linguistic distance and discrimination contributed to these patterns.

We used case–control data from the EUropean network of national schizophrenia networks studying Gene-Environment Interactions (EU-GEI) study, carried out in 16 centres in six countries. We recruited 1130 cases and 1497 population-based controls. Our main outcome measure was first-episode ICD-10 psychotic disorder (F20–F33), and exposures were ethnicity (white majority, black, mixed, Asian, North-African, white minority and other), generational status, social disadvantage, linguistic distance and discrimination. Age, sex, paternal age, cannabis use, childhood trauma and parental history of psychosis were included as a priori confounders. Exposures and confounders were added sequentially to multivariable logistic models, following multiple imputation for missing data.

Participants from any ethnic minority background had crude excess odds of psychosis [odds ratio (OR) 2.03, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.69–2.43], which remained after adjustment for confounders (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.31–1.98). This was progressively attenuated following further adjustment for social disadvantage (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.22–1.89) and linguistic distance (OR 1.22, 95% CI 0.95–1.57), a pattern mirrored in several specific ethnic groups. Linguistic distance and social disadvantage had stronger effects for first- and later-generation groups, respectively.

Social disadvantage and linguistic distance, two potential markers of sociocultural exclusion, were associated with increased odds of psychotic disorder, and adjusting for these led to equivocal risk between several ethnic minority groups and the white majority.

The aims of this meta-analysis are (i) to estimate the pooled relative risk (RR) of developing non-affective psychotic disorder (NAPD) and affective psychotic disorder (APD) among migrants and their children; (ii) to adjust these results for socioeconomic status (SES); (iii) to examine the sources of heterogeneity that underlie the risk of NAPD.

We included population-based incidence studies that reported an age-adjusted RR with 95% confidence interval (CI) published 1 January 1977–12 October 2017 and used a random-effects model.

We retrieved studies performed in Europe (n = 43), Israel (n = 3), Canada (n = 2) and Australia (n = 1). The meta-analysis yielded a RR, adjusted for age and sex, of 2.13 (95% CI 1.99–2.27) for NAPD and 2.94 (95% CI 2.28–3.79) for APD. The RRs diminished, but persisted after adjustment for SES. With reference to NAPD: a personal or parental history of migration to Europe from countries outside Europe was associated with a higher RR (RR = 2.94, 95% CI 2.63–3.29) than migration within Europe (RR = 1.88, 95% 1.62–2.18). The corresponding RR was lower in Israel (RR = 1.22; 0.99–1.50) and Canada (RR = 1.21; 0.85–1.74). The RR was highest among individuals with a black skin colour (RR = 4.19, 95% CI 3.42–5.14). The evidence of a difference in risk between first and second generation was insufficient.

Positive selection may explain the low risk in Canada, while the change from exclusion to inclusion may do the same in Israel. Given the high risks among migrants from developing countries in Europe, social exclusion may have a pathogenic role.