ESRI Research Seminar: “Psychotic Symptoms in Adolescence – Mechanisms and Meanings ”

Venue: ESRI, Whitaker Square, Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin 2

Speaker: Prof. Mary Cannon, RCSI

Abstract:
During the past decade, there has been a growing interest in psychotic symptoms among children and adolescents. For years, such symptoms were not asked about by child and adolescent mental health professionals as it was considered that these experiences were meaningless in the absence of a psychotic diagnosis. However, there is now compelling evidence from population-based cohorts that self-reported psychotic symptoms in early adolescence are associated with a higher risk of psychotic illness in adulthood. This seminar will highlight this emerging area of research interest and address the issue of how to identify and characterize adolescents experiencing psychotic symptoms. New evidence will also be presented on the strong associations between psychotic symptoms and other psychopathology. The lecture will end by discussing risk factors for psychotic symptoms and future directions in terms of prevention and treatment.