Changes in health-related quality of life and functioning ability in help-seeking adolescents and adolescents at heightened risk of developing psychosis during family- and community-oriented intervention model

Abstract

Objective. Early intervention has been shown to benefit people at-risk for psychosis, but knowledge about how early intervention benefits all help-seeking adolescents is lacking. The aim of the present study was to study change in health-related quality of life (QoL) and functioning ability in help-seeking adolescents who participate in a community- and family-oriented early intervention program. Methods. The data was collected in Finland by an early-intervention team. Ninety help-seeking adolescents between 12 and 21 years of age filled out a questionnaire on QoL (16D) and functioning ability (GAF), which was assessed by workers at the beginning and at the end of the intervention. A PROD screen was used to assess heightened risk of developing psychosis. Results. QoL and functioning ability showed significant differences (p < 0.001) between the beginning and the end of the intervention, as well in a subgroup of participants at heightened risk of developing psychosis (QoL, p = 0.008; GAF, p < 0.001: n = 35). 35.6% improved over the clinical cut-off point in functioning ability and 48.6% of the subjects at-risk. 53.3% reached clinically significant improvement in QoL and 54.2% of the subjects at heightened risk of developing psychosis. Conclusions. The results suggest that there is both statistically and clinically remarkable improvement in QoL and functioning ability after a need-adapted, family- and community-oriented intervention.

Key words::

• Adolescents
• quality of life
• functioning ability
• heightened risk of developing psychosis
• early intervention

Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge the adolescents who took part in the JERI project. We would like to thank all the community co-workers we worked with during this study. We would also like to thank all those team members of JERI project who helped in the data collection.

Statement of interest

None of the authors reports conflicts of interest.