Psychosis-Spectrum Screening and Assessment Within a College Counseling Center: A Pilot Study Exploring Feasibility...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Mental Health Services Research

Background:

• Brief psychosis-spectrum screening tools are evidence-based for identifying at-risk individuals.
• Screening in general mental health settings, particularly for young adults, is understudied.
• Young adulthood is a critical period for the onset of psychotic disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the feasibility of psychosis-risk screening and assessment in a university counseling center.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of brief screening tools in identifying students at risk for psychosis.
• To assess the rate of psychosis-spectrum disorders among help-seeking students.

Main Methods:

• The PRIME Screen-Revised was administered to help-seeking students at a university counseling center intake.
• Participants with positive PRIME Screen-Revised results were offered follow-up assessment with the Structured Interview for Psychosis-risk Syndromes (SIPS).
• Data were collected from 510 students completing the initial screen, with 38 undergoing comprehensive assessment.

Main Results:

• 132 out of 510 students (25.9%) screened positive for psychosis risk.
• 22 out of 38 participants (57.9%) who underwent comprehensive assessment met criteria for a psychosis-spectrum disorder.
• The study demonstrates a high prevalence of psychosis-spectrum disorders in a help-seeking student population.

Conclusions:

• Psychosis-risk screening in college counseling centers is a feasible and promising strategy.
• This approach can effectively identify young adults at high risk for or in the early stages of psychosis.
• Implementing screening in these settings may improve early intervention for psychotic disorders.