Most college students with psychosis lack recommended combination treatment

Although the majority of students sought and received therapy or counseling in the past 12 months, less than 40 percent received the recommended combination of therapy/counseling and antipsychotic medication, suggesting potential barriers to accessing this medication.

Clara Godoy-Henderson, study lead and corresponding author, PhD student in health services and policy research at BUSPHThis high identified need for help but low utilization of services indicates potential barriers to accessing this care. Early intervention and access to services such as therapy and medication in this population are important because it improves outcomes related to overall quality of life, school involvement, employment, symptom severity, and relapse rate."

The study is among the largest to assess the use of antipsychotic medication, therapy/counseling, and informal support among college students with psychosis. As the average age of onset of psychosis is about 20 years old, understanding college students' perceptions and behaviors around treating this condition can help identify opportunities for earlier interventions that could improve psychosis outcomes.

For the study, Godoy-Henderson and colleagues at BUSPH and the University of Minnesota analyzed national survey data from the Healthy Minds Study, the nation's largest survey of student mental health, conducted by the Healthy Minds Network. The researchers examined responses from 2,819 college students with a diagnosis of psychosis, provided between 2015-2024, about their 12-month history with therapy/counseling and antipsychotic medication, as well as whether informal support from various groups around them (friends, loved ones, roommates, campus staff, religious counselors, or support groups) motivated them to seek or utilize these services.

The findings also suggested that college students who believed they needed mental health treatment were more likely to have received informal support from health professionals or friends, and were more likely to take antipsychotic medication and/or receive therapy/counseling if they were encouraged-versus being pressured or forced to seek help, as is often the case when patients can be institutionalized for their mental health.

"Support systems play a crucial role in identifying early psychosis symptoms and help navigate mental health services, which may be an important factor in treatment initiation," says Godoy-Henderson. "However, future research should examine the long-term outcomes of individuals who are encouraged by their support systems to seek help for their mental health versus being mandated to treatment."

Future research should also aim "to better understand the barriers to antipsychotic medication to improve poor outcomes, such as delayed care, and high relapse rates in individuals with psychosis," she says.

The study's senior author is Dr. Sarah Lipson, associate professor of health law, policy & management at BUSPH and a principal investigator of the Healthy Minds Network.

Source:

Boston University School of Public Health

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