Study Suggests Schizophrenia May Be Detectable Years Before Its Onset

“Problems abound in defining schizophrenia,” wrote the late Colorado Recovery founder Richard Warner in his book The Environment of Schizophrenia. Symptoms can vary in type and severity over time, with periods of worsening and remission of symptoms. It’s frequently difficult to distinguish between symptoms of bipolar disorder for schizophrenia. 

The cause of the illness is  also unknown. “There is no single organic defect or infectious agent which causes schizophrenia, but a variety of factors increase the illness—among them genetics and obstetric complications,” wrote Dr. Warner. Then there is the onset mystery of why schizophrenia “normally begins in adolescence when important risk factors, such as genetic loading and neonatal brain damage, are present from birth or sooner.” 

New research is now suggesting that the risk of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder may be detectable years before the illnesses begin. A University College Dublin-led study funded by the Health Research Board found that 50 percent of people who developed these mental health disorders had attended specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in childhood.

Published in the journal World Psychiatry, the findings suggest the possibility of earlier intervention and even prevention, co-author Professor Ian Kelleher from the UCD School of Medicine told Neuroscience. The study was carried out in conjunction with the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

“In a total population study of all individuals born in Finland in 1987 and followed up to 28 years, half of all psychosis and bipolar diagnoses occurred in individuals who had attended CAMHS during childhood or adolescence,” wrote study authors Kelleher, Lång, Ramsay, Yates, et al. 

The authors felt that there was a significant window of opportunity for intervention in terms of the time from initial CAMHS attendance to a diagnosis of psychosis or bipolar disorder.

“These findings highlight an enormous, untapped potential for the prediction of psychosis and bipolar disorder within already existing structures providing specialist pediatric mental health care. They support a new focus for psychosis and bipolar disorder prediction efforts on specialist community and inpatient CAMHS and present exciting new opportunities for psychosis and bipolar disorder prevention research.”

They wrote that “a key finding of our study was that in contrast to the small proportion of psychosis cases identified by current high-risk strategies, at least half of all individuals diagnosed with psychosis or bipolar disorder by age 28 years had, at some point in their childhood or adolescence, attended specialist CAMHS.”

Furthermore, the researchers found that their findings “also highlight the importance of the transition between adolescent and adult mental health services. The reasons for presenting to CAMHS differ from those for presenting to adult mental health services, and only a small minority of CAMHS patients are subsequently referred to the latter services.”

Stressing the importance of early intervention, Professor Kelleher told Neuroscience: “We know it’s crucial to intervene as early as possible to prevent some of the worst effects of these illnesses. But ideally, we would like to be able to intervene even before the onset of illness, to prevent it altogether.”

Colorado Recovery opened as an independent treatment center in Boulder in 2006 to create a non-hospital treatment center for people with serious mental illness that employed the most effective diagnostic and treatment methods and focused on respectful, compassionate, and optimistic care.

Our treatment facility provides the services needed to address schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other serious mental illnesses which are specific to each individual. About half of our clients are under 35 years of age and we expect good outcomes regardless of the duration of the disorder. Clients of any age will feel comfortable in our program. Call us at 720-218-4068 to discuss treatment options for you or the person you would like to help.

 

Colorado Recovery Launches Partnership With Therapeutic Riding Center

Colorado Recovery has teamed up with the Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center (CTRC) in Longmont, CO to expand services for their clients. The Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center is the oldest therapeutic riding center in the Centennial State and has been operating since 1980. 
 
Equine-assisted therapy incorporates horses into the therapeutic process. People engage in activities such as riding, grooming, feeding, and leading a horse while being supervised by a mental health professional.
 
The goals of this experiential form of therapy include helping people develop skills such as emotional regulation, self-confidence, and responsibility. Mature horses typically weigh between 900 and 2,000 pounds and it can sometimes feel a little bit intimidating to have such a large, majestic creature participate in therapy sessions.
 
However, because of its demonstrable benefits, equine-assisted therapy has grown in popularity. Horses are keen observers and are vigilant and sensitive to movement and emotion. They often mirror a client’s behavior and feelings, conveying understanding and connection that allows the client to feel safe.
 
Potential benefits of equine therapy include distress tolerance, emotional awareness, impulse control, self-esteem, social awareness, and improved social relationships.
 
Michele Bruhn is the executive director at Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center. “Our mission is to change the lives of people with disabilities and mental health issues by promoting their physical, psychological, and social well-being through equine-assisted activities and therapies,” she says. “CTRC maintains a herd of more than 25 magnificent therapeutic riding horses. Each member of our herd is a treasure in a way that is unique to them, each with their own tale to tell.” 
 
On its 39-acre campus, CTRC offers therapeutic horsemanship, equine-assisted therapies, and equine-assisted mental health services. “The horses are really the modality of treatment,” says Bruhn. Clients are not necessarily learning how to ride a horse as our therapists work on different goals for each individual client. We evaluate our clients’ affect and body structure and then match the right type of horse with that person.” 
 
All CTRC instructors are certified through Path International. The first Colorado Recovery patients started equine therapy in mid-September.  
 
Colorado Recovery
 
The treatment program at Colorado Recovery aims to empower adults with mental illness, and those who support them, with an unrelenting optimism for recovery, purposeful involvement in the community, and an enhanced sense of meaning in life.
 
Our treatment facility provides the services needed to address schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other serious mental illnesses which are specific to each individual. Call us at 720-218-4068 to discuss treatment options for you or the person you would like to help.

Psychiatrist Nauman H. Taj Joins Colorado Recovery as Medical Director

Nauman Hanif Taj, MD, is the new medical director at Colorado Recovery. Dr. Taj has a long, impressive track record as a board-certified adult psychiatrist. 

Following his medical training at Tufts University in Massachusetts, Dr. Taj was awarded a fellowship at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, the third oldest psychoanalytic institute in the United States. Dr. Taj has worked as a psychiatrist in various settings including inpatient and outpatient.

After working in a Nebraska hospital for several years, Dr. Taj moved to the Ft. Collins area in Colorado to practice as a psychiatrist. Recently, he was approached by Colorado Recovery to help take its immensely successful Warner treatment model to the next level. 

“Colorado Recovery is different because it brings clients out into the community as part of their psychiatric rehab,” says Dr. Taj. Community integration and social engagement are at the heart of the treatment philosophy, setting the course for a life of engagement, purpose, and connection. 

Another Colorado Recovery advantage is the careful re-evaluation of each individual diagnosis. “We always do a comprehensive, fresh evaluation. Many clients have had the same diagnosis for years, which is sometimes wrong and symptoms can always change. You really need to know the patient, their social life, and their support system. I also ask them what they don’t like about seeing a doctor and that often opens up an interesting perspective.”

Dr. Taj emphasizes that you always have to see the whole person. “You can’t separate the patient and the patient’s symptoms from the human being you’re interacting with. That person could be a husband, a dad, or a mom. That person could be working two jobs just to keep a roof over their head. You have to see that patient as an important part of society.” 

Colorado Recovery

The treatment program at Colorado Recovery aims to empower adults with mental illness, and those who support them, with an unrelenting optimism for recovery, purposeful involvement in the community, and an enhanced sense of meaning in life.

Our treatment facility provides the services needed to address schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other serious mental illnesses which are specific to each individual. Call us at 720-218-4068 to discuss treatment options for you or the person you would like to help.