title: Substance use in youth at risk for psychosis.
abstract: People with schizophrenia have high rates of substance use which contributes to co-morbidity and premature mortality. Some evidence suggests people at-risk for psychosis have high rates of substance use. We aimed to assess substance use in a help-seeking cohort, comparing those at-risk and not at-risk for psychosis, and to establish any relationship with clinical symptoms.
  
  
  
  Participants were help-seeking youth presenting to mental health services in Sydney and Melbourne. 279 (34.8%) were at-risk for psychosis, and 452 (56.4%) did not meet criteria for a psychotic disorder or risk for psychosis. The excluded individuals were made up of 59 (7.4%) young people who met criteria for a psychotic disorder and 11 (1.4%) who were unable to be evaluated. We assessed the association of substance use involvement with risk status and clinical symptoms using multivariate regression.
  
  
  
  Individuals at-risk for psychosis had significantly higher tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use than those not at-risk. Multivariate analysis revealed at-risk status was significantly associated with higher alcohol involvement scores when adjusting for age and gender, but no association was found for cannabis or tobacco. At-risk status was no longer associated with alcohol involvement when cannabis or tobacco use was added into the analysis.
  
  
  
  Tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption and cannabis use are common in help-seeking youth, particularly those at-risk for psychosis. It is important to consider co-occurring use of different substances in adolescents. Early substance misuse in this phase of illness could be targeted to improve physical and mental health in young people.
authors: Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester, UK. Electronic address: rebekah.carney@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Carney
authors: Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester, UK; Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
authors: A R
authors: AR
authors: Yung
authors: Orygen - The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; The Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Australia.
authors: G P
authors: GP
authors: Amminger
authors: School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Manchester, UK.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Bradshaw
authors: Brain & Mind Centre, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Glozier
authors: Brain & Mind Centre, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: D F
authors: DF
authors: Hermens
authors: Brain & Mind Centre, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: I B
authors: IB
authors: Hickie
authors: Orygen - The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Killackey
authors: Orygen - The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: McGorry
authors: Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Victoria, Australia.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Pantelis
authors: Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Victoria, Australia; School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, UK.
authors: S J
authors: SJ
authors: Wood
authors: Orygen - The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Purcell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012306:Risk; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Lifestyle; Physical health; Psychosis; Smoking; Substance use