Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Aim: Early psychosis has been identified as period during which rapid identification and
treatment can lead to significant improvement in clinical and functional outcomes. Despite
increased research, no studies have examined early psychosis in Veteran populations. It is unknown whether Veterans differ from non-Veterans at this stage of the disorder, and if
the treatments offered to non-Veterans are appropriate to implement in Veteran Affairs
Medical Centers. Given differences that appear between Veterans and non-Veterans in
chronic psychosis, additional work is necessary to determine the best way to approach
specialized treatment for Veterans experiencing early psychosis. Methods: The current
study is a secondary analysis of assessment batteries collected at a community-based early intervention program and at a local Veteran Affairs Medical Center. Assessment results were compared for Veterans’ and non-Veterans’ background characteristics, symptoms, and neurocognitive deficits. Results: Significant differences were found between the two
samples on age of illness onset, marital status, education level, positive symptoms of
psychosis, and neurocognitive functioning. Logistic regression analyses identified age of
onset as a potential underlying factor. Conclusions: While some aspects of illness
presentation appear similar between Veterans and non-Veterans, there are important
differences between these populations. Pre-existing treatment interventions, such as Social Skills Training, cognitive remediation approaches and cognitive behavior therapy for psychosis may be appropriate to implement with Veterans. Others– such as family based interventions or supported employment services – may need to be tailored to maximize the benefit for Veterans.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:IUPUI/oai:scholarworks.iupui.edu:1805/14661 |
| Date | January 2018 |
| Creators | White, Dominique A. |
| Contributors | Salyers, Michelle, McGuire, Alan, Zapolski, Tamika, Minor, Kyle |
| Source Sets | Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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