Centre for Youth Mental Health - Research Publications

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    Psychosocial Well-Being and Functional Outcomes in Youth With Type 1 Diabetes 12 years After Disease Onset
    Northam, EA ; Lin, A ; Finch, S ; Weather, GA ; Cameron, FJ (AMER DIABETES ASSOC, 2010-07)
    OBJECTIVE: Type 1 diabetes in youth and community controls were compared on functional outcomes. Relationships were examined between psychosocial variables at diagnosis and functional outcome 12 years later. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Participants were subjects with type 1 diabetes (n = 110, mean age 20.7 years, SD 4.3) and control subjects (n = 76, mean age 20.8 years, SD 4.0). The measures used included the Youth Self-Report and Young Adult Self-Report and a semi-structured interview of functional outcomes. Type 1 diabetes participants also provided information about current diabetes care and metabolic control from diagnosis. RESULTS: Type 1 diabetes participants and control subjects reported similar levels of current well-being but for the youth with type 1 diabetes, the mental health referral rates over the previous 12 years were higher by 19% and school completion rates were lower by 17%. Over one-third of clinical participants were not currently receiving specialist care and this group had higher mental health service usage in the past (61 vs. 33%) and lower current psychosocial well- being. Within the type 1 diabetes group, behavior problems, high activity, and low family cohesion at diagnosis predicted lower current well-being, but were not associated with metabolic control history. Poorer metabolic control was associated with higher mental health service usage. CONCLUSIONS: Type 1 diabetes participants report similar levels of current psychosocial well-being compared with control subjects, but higher levels of psychiatric morbidity since diagnosis and lower school completion rates. Psychiatric morbidity was associated with poor metabolic control and failure to transition to tertiary adult diabetes care.
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    Phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) perception in ultra-high risk for psychosis participants who develop schizophrenia: Testing the evidence for an endophenotypic marker
    Brewer, WJ ; Lin, A ; Moberg, PJ ; Smutzer, G ; Nelson, B ; Yung, AR ; Pantelis, C ; McGorry, PD ; Turetsky, BI ; Wood, SJ (ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD, 2012-08-30)
    Reports suggesting that schizophrenia participants are more likely to be phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) non-tasters when compared to controls have recently been controversial. If supported, a genetic-based phenotypic variation in PTC taster status is implicated, suggesting a greater illness risk for those participants with recessive alleles for the TAS2R38 receptor. Should PTC insensitivity be a schizophrenia endophenotype, then it would be expected in follow-up of ultra high-risk for psychosis participants who later develop schizophrenia (UHR-S). UHR-S was hypothesised to show reduced PTC sensitivity compared to those who were previously at risk, but did not transition (UHR-NP). PTC perception was assessed in 219 UHR participants at long-term follow-up, of whom 53 had transitioned to psychosis (UHR-P) during the follow-up period. Fifteen of the 219 participants were diagnosed with schizophrenia. Seventy-eight had a family history of psychotic disorder. No differences in PTC taster status were found in UHR participants based upon transition to psychosis status, schizophrenia diagnosis, or family history of schizophrenia. This report indicates that schizophrenia development among UHR participants is not associated with PTC tasting deficits and fails to support previous findings that inability to detect the bitter taste of PTC is a schizophrenia endophenotype.