Predicting Psychotic Illness in Teens (broadcast Friday, January 11th, 2008)
Researchers say that by examining the specific combination of risk factors an individual teen has, they can predict which with 65 to 80 percent accuracy whether that teen will be merely 'at risk' for psychotic illness, or whether he or she will cross the threshold and actually develop a psychotic illness. "These findings demonstrate that prospective ascertainment of individuals at risk for psychosis is feasible, with a level of predictive accuracy comparable to that in other areas of preventive medicine," wrote Tyrone Cannon and colleagues in the journal 'Archives of General Psychiatry.' In this segment, Ira talks with Cannon about the work and how it may change the mental health treatment given to at-risk teens. Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.
Guests
Tyrone Cannon
Staglin Family Professor of Psychology, Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences
Director, Staglin Center for Cognitive
Neuroscience
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Related Links
- US News and World Report: 5 Factors Help Predict Psychosis in Children
- Baltimore Sun: Psychosis can be forecast in teenagers
- Medline Plus: Teen Mental Health
- NIMH: Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Segment produced by:Karin Vergoth
Listen:
Stories for
Friday, January 11th, 2008
-
The Call for A Science Debate
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Lester Brown - Plan B 3.0
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Monarch Migration Molecular Mechanism
- Predicting Psychotic Illness in Teens
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The Farnsworth Invention
Elsewhere on Sciencefriday.com
Mental Health Gets Insurance Parity
Treating Depression
Stress
Towards a Blood Test for Alzheimer's
The Future Of Fast-acting Depression Medication










