Special Issue: Psychosis from early intervention to treatment resistance

Abstract

Psychotic disorders are central to mental health service provision and a common theme of academic research programmes in Ireland, which explore the neurobiological and psychosocial risk factors underpinning the development and progression of these illnesses. While we await the discovery of novel pharmacological treatment targets for psychotic disorders, it is important to employ our existing management strategies to optimal effect. In this special issue on psychosis, a selection of clinical research studies and reviews from Irish researchers, and often of Irish populations, are brought together which span the trajectory of psychotic illness from early intervention to treatment resistance. The topics include the characteristics and course of first episode psychosis cohorts, real-world evaluation of early intervention services, management strategies for treatment resistant schizophrenia and neurobiological research into social stress. The current editorial provides an overview of these papers and highlights the initial steps of the Irish Psychosis Research Network towards developing an integrated clinical research network focusing on the treatment and research into psychotic disorders.