Probing the roots of psychotic symptoms A significant proportion of young people experience psychotic symptoms in childhood, which leaves them at higher risk of developing mental ill-health later in life. The iHEAR project brings together researchers in several disciplines to probe deeper into the roots of psychotic experiences in childhood and the longer term outcomes, as Professor Mary Cannon explains. A number of
different symptoms are associated with psychotic disorders, including hearing voices and delusional beliefs. These types of experiences are more common than might be expected, with emerging evidence that a significant proportion of young people have experienced them at some point in their lives. “In my study I distributed questionnaires to 11-13 year old children in schools. Around 20 percent of students ticked a box saying that they had experienced one of a list of seven symptoms associated with psychotic disorders. When we interviewed them we found that they were indeed suffering these symptoms,” says Mary Cannon, Professor of Psychiatric Epidemiology and Youth Mental Health at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). As the Principal Investigator of the iHEAR project, Professor Cannon aims to help build a fuller understanding of the young people who experience these symptoms. “We are trying to increase our knowledge about the young people who describe these symptoms, why they experience these symptoms and their outcomes,” she outlines.
iHEAR project This work is multi-disciplinary in scope, bringing together researchers in epidemiology, social science and neuroscience to develop a broad perspective on psychotic symptoms in young people. Researchers have data on a large cohort of young people, from which Professor Cannon hopes to gain some deeper insights. “We have information on whether these children have experienced these symptoms by the age of 13. That will allow us to look at risk factors in a large population,” she explains. Another strand of her research involves brain imaging and detailed psychological testing. A further strand involves conducting in-depth interviews with a smaller group of young people who experienced psychotic symptoms at an earlier point in their lives. “We want to find out what’s been going on in their lives. What may have triggered these symptoms? What stresses were they undergoing?” says Professor Cannon. “I’m interested in whether an accumulation of trauma or adversity in childhood could lead to an increased risk of psychotic symptoms.”
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Above: The iHEAR team: from left to right – Helen Coughlan, Colm Healy, Prof Mary Cannon, Dr Aisling O’Neill, Eleanor Carey. Right: iHEAR team members Colm Healy and Aisling O’Neill at the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland Spring Meeting, March 2019. Below: iHEAR team member Eleanor Carey presenting her work at the RCSI Research Day 2019.
Adversity in this context does not necessarily mean serious cases of abuse and neglect, but rather relatively common experiences that can nevertheless leave a significant mark on young people. Childhood adversities could involve going through parental conflict, bullying, or the loss of a grandparent for example. “These things all cause difficulties for young children,” stresses Professor Cannon. Some children may be able to overcome these difficulties, while others struggle. “Bullying can be incredibly painful for some young people for example, while others are very resilient. We’ve seen some young people who’ve come through horrendous bullying and done very well,” says Professor Cannon. “They’ve been able to overcome difficulties by volunteering for instance, or helping other people – that seems to be very important.”
There are others who are less resilient however, and their experiences during their youth may leave them at higher risk of developing a disorder later in life. While some
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