title: Monitoring of physical health in services for young people at ultra-high risk of psychosis.
abstract: People with schizophrenia have poor physical health and high rates of premature mortality. Risk factors for later cardiovascular disease are present from an early stage, and recording of these factors is recommended in first-episode services. However, it is unclear whether cardiometabolic risk factors are monitored prior to first-episode psychosis.
  
  
  
  A retrospective analysis was conducted on case notes of individuals accepted into a specialized early detection service for young people at ultra-high risk for psychosis. Notes were assessed to determine whether the following physical health measures were recorded: height, weight, body mass index, blood pressure, blood glucose and lipids, physical activity levels, smoking status, substance use and alcohol intake.
  
  
  
  Forty individuals were deemed at ultra-high risk for psychosis and accepted into the service. The two measures reported most frequently were whether a person used substances (82.5%) or alcohol (72.5%), but more specific details were not commonly reported. A minority of case files contained information on height (2.5%), weight (7.5%), body mass index (5%), blood glucose (2.5%), smoking status (15%) and physical activity (7.5%). Six case files had no measure of physical health.
  
  
  
  Physical health and unhealthy lifestyle factors were not assessed routinely in the specialized service. Clear monitoring guidelines should be developed to establish routine assessment of common metabolic risk factors present in this population.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Rebekah
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2859-6825
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carney
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bradshaw
authors.affiliation: Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Alison R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Yung
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: clinical high risk; lifestyle; psychotic disorders; risk factors; schizophrenia