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Wednesday, 5 May 2010

A unique national study into high impact psychosis that includes schizophrenia and bipolar disorder is being spearheaded by three WA researchers, all from the Faculty.

The Survey of High Impact Psychosis (SHIP) will collect data on functioning as well as cognitive and physical health data from people with psychosis across Australia.

The aim of the study, which is funded by the Federal Department of Health and Ageing with more than $5 million, is to better understand the characteristics of people with psychosis. This will allow mental health services to develop new models of treatment that will engage people with psychosis in a long-term recovery process.

If successful, it will help to significantly reduce disability and its burdens and costs.

UWA is the lead institution for SHIP and the key personnel are all from the School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences.

They are Professor Vera Morgan, who is National Project Director and Convenor of the Technical Advisory Group, Winthrop Professor Assen Jablensky, who is Chief Scientific Advisor, and Assistant Professor Anna Waterreus, who is National Project Coordinator.

SHIP is the second national survey of psychosis, following the first Australian National Survey of Low Prevalence (Psychotic) Disorders undertaken in 1997-1998 under the direction of Professor Jablensky.

There have been major changes in the Australian mental health climate since the first survey in 1997-98. By replicating key questions from the original survey, the Technical Advisory Group will be able to measure changes in service use and satisfaction. Survey questions have also been aligned with the national general population survey of mental health undertaken in 2007, as well as other national surveys, which will help the team to benchmark their data against the rest of the Australian population.

Professor Morgan said the survey would cover the range of psychotic disorders including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, paranoid psychosis, bipolar disorder and other psychotic illnesses.

Although the two surveys are targeting the same population, the survey name has been changed to make the point that, while psychotic disorders are low prevalence, they have an incredibly high impact on services, people with the disorders and those who look after them.

Underpinning the project is the idea that the social context in which people with psychosis live plays a critical role in their functioning and recovery. Consequently, SHIP researchers will be collecting information on social roles, employment, housing, health and other services for people with psychosis in addition to data on psychopathology and mental health service use. This will include assessing individuals’ role function and role support, cognitive function and physical health, examining the role of GPs in the management of psychosis and calculating the economic and community costs of psychosis, including the breakdown of social supports and networks.

Professor Morgan said that one of the major changes since the first survey was the involvement of GPs in treating patients with psychosis.

The second survey includes two questionnaires for GPs to complete on how they manage psychosis in general practice and the problems that they experience. It will also include many more questions. These will cover issues such as work, skill development, family responsibility, housing and homelessness, social engagement and community integration, and support networks and how well people are functioning.

“The first survey mapped the territory and the second survey provides us with the opportunity… to drill down a bit further,” Professor Morgan said.

There will also be a physical assessment, particularly for risk factors for metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, both of which are elevated in people with psychotic illness. Drug and alcohol use will be canvassed.

“We will do a brief cognitive assessment of individuals and again I am not aware that this has ever been done in an epidemiological population survey,” Professor Morgan said.

“The collection of both cognitive and physical health data for people with psychosis within a national epidemiological framework is unique and should gain the SHIP project considerable international attention.”

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