TY - JOUR

T1 - Unrecognized schizophrenia spectrum and other mental disorders in youth disconnected from education and work-life

AU - Lindhardt, Line

AU - Nilsson, Lars Siersbaek

AU - Munk-Jorgensen, Povl

AU - Mortensen, Ole Steen

AU - Simonsen, Erik

AU - Nordgaard, Julie

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - BackgroundSchizophrenia spectrum disorders typically emerge during adolescence or early adulthood. Often the symptomatology is vague initially, while a marked functional decline and social withdrawal can be seen. A group of young people with such social and functional impairments is the so-called "Not in Education, Employment or Training" (NEET), i.e., a youth population that is socially disconnected from education and work-life. Despite the NEET group's disconnection from important parts of social life and a rising concern of an intersection with mental health problems, a psychopathological perspective on the problems experienced by this group remains underexplored. AimTo examine a NEET sample for psychopathology and if relevant allocate psychiatric diagnoses. MethodsWe performed an interview study comprising 40 participants from youth job-counseling services. All underwent a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation. Inclusion criteria were 18-29 years of age and a welfare benefit history of minimum 6 months. ResultsDiagnostic criteria of any mental disorder were fulfilled by 95% of the sample; half of whom were diagnosed with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. The participants with schizophrenia spectrum disorders had lower global functioning, were more often in contact with the mental health services and had higher PANSS and Examination of Anomalous Self-Experiences (EASE) scores compared to those with non-schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The participants fulfilling the criteria for schizophrenia spectrum disorders had lower EASE and PANSS scores than usually reported in the literature, suggesting more "symptom-poor" presentations. ConclusionPsychiatric illness and particularly schizophrenia spectrum disorders affecting social interaction and the ability to take part in educational and work-life were grossly overrepresented in the NEET sample. Our findings suggest that pronounced social disconnection in youth in and of itself should lead to suspect the presence of a severe mental disorder.

AB - BackgroundSchizophrenia spectrum disorders typically emerge during adolescence or early adulthood. Often the symptomatology is vague initially, while a marked functional decline and social withdrawal can be seen. A group of young people with such social and functional impairments is the so-called "Not in Education, Employment or Training" (NEET), i.e., a youth population that is socially disconnected from education and work-life. Despite the NEET group's disconnection from important parts of social life and a rising concern of an intersection with mental health problems, a psychopathological perspective on the problems experienced by this group remains underexplored. AimTo examine a NEET sample for psychopathology and if relevant allocate psychiatric diagnoses. MethodsWe performed an interview study comprising 40 participants from youth job-counseling services. All underwent a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation. Inclusion criteria were 18-29 years of age and a welfare benefit history of minimum 6 months. ResultsDiagnostic criteria of any mental disorder were fulfilled by 95% of the sample; half of whom were diagnosed with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. The participants with schizophrenia spectrum disorders had lower global functioning, were more often in contact with the mental health services and had higher PANSS and Examination of Anomalous Self-Experiences (EASE) scores compared to those with non-schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The participants fulfilling the criteria for schizophrenia spectrum disorders had lower EASE and PANSS scores than usually reported in the literature, suggesting more "symptom-poor" presentations. ConclusionPsychiatric illness and particularly schizophrenia spectrum disorders affecting social interaction and the ability to take part in educational and work-life were grossly overrepresented in the NEET sample. Our findings suggest that pronounced social disconnection in youth in and of itself should lead to suspect the presence of a severe mental disorder.

KW - schizophrenia spectrum disorder

KW - NEET

KW - psychopathology

KW - social disconnection

KW - psychosis

KW - YOUNG-ADULTS

KW - HEALTH

KW - EMPLOYMENT

KW - SYMPTOMS

KW - ASSOCIATION

KW - PSYCHOSIS

KW - INTERVIEW

KW - SCHOOL

U2 - 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1015616

DO - 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1015616

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 36386963

VL - 13

JO - Frontiers in Psychiatry

JF - Frontiers in Psychiatry

SN - 1664-0640

M1 - 1015616

ER -