Health-related quality of life among adolescents: a comparison between subjects at risk for psychosis and other help seekers.
OBJECTIVE
Schizophrenia is a severe illness associated with poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and there is some evidence that a risk state for psychosis is associated with decreased HRQoL. The aim of the present study was to investigate group differences in HRQoL in help seekers at risk for psychosis and not at risk for psychosis.


METHODS
The data were collected by a Finnish early detection and intervention team at Helsinki University Central Hospital. A total of 202 help-seeking adolescents (110 girls, 92 boys; 11-22 years of age) were assessed with a PROD screen and HRQoL scale of 16D.


RESULTS
As the main result, subjects at risk for psychosis had a poorer HRQoL index than other help seekers (P < 0.001). An additional analysis of sub-items for the HRQoL at-risk group had poorer mean scores at a statistically significant level after Bonferroni correction for multiple tests in the following sub-items: vitality (P = 0.016), distress (P = 0.016), physical appearance (P < 0.001), school and hobbies (P = 0.016), friends (P = 0.048), mental function (P < 0.001) and depression (P < 0.001). In a logistic regression analysis of sub-items of the HRQoL scale, lower scores in the sub-item of mental function independently explained the at-risk status for psychosis (P = 0.009).


CONCLUSIONS
Adolescents at risk for psychosis have a poorer HRQoL index than other help seekers and they also differ in several sub-items, particularly in the lower scores in mental function. In the future, these findings should be considered in the care of adolescents at risk for psychosis.
Department of Psychiatry, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Jorvi Hospital, Espoo, Finland.
Niklas
N
Granö
Marjaana
M
Karjalainen
Virve
V
Edlund
Erkki
E
Saari
Arja
A
Itkonen
Jukka
J
Anto
Mikko
M
Roine
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D062706:Prodromal Symptoms; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
adolescents; health-related quality of life; risk for psychosis