Recent meta-analyses in the clinical high risk for psychosis population: Clinical interpretation of findings and suggestions for future research

Abstract

One of the major advances over the past 20 years in psychiatry is the capacity not only to identify people at incipient risk for psychosis and other disabling mental disorders, but also to improve their levels of distress and functioning and reduce their risk of progression to sustained psychotic disorder, at least while treatment is being provided and for at least 1-2 years from baseline. These statements are supported by level 1 Cochrane evidence and one would expect this progress to be understood and valued by a field in need of positive findings pointing to better outcomes. It is therefore puzzling why recent meta-analyses appear to have focused on second order issues and in doing so have distracted from the key message of this research literature and fuelled the traditional skepticism and pessimism with which our discipline is so replete.