Abstract
Background: Schizophrenia spectrum disorders typically emerge during
adolescence or early adulthood. Often the symptomatology is vague initially,
while a marked functional decline and social withdrawal can be seen.
A group of young people with such social and functional impairments is
the so-called “Not in Education, Employment or Training” (NEET), i.e., a
youth population that is socially disconnected from education and worklife.
Despite the NEET group’s disconnection from important parts of social
life and a rising concern of an intersection with mental health problems, a
psychopathological perspective on the problems experienced by this group
remains underexplored.
Aim: To examine a NEET sample for psychopathology and if relevant allocate
psychiatric diagnoses.
Methods: We performed an interview study comprising 40 participants from
youth job-counseling services. All underwent a comprehensive psychiatric
evaluation. Inclusion criteria were 18–29 years of age and a welfare benefit
history of minimum 6 months.
Results: Diagnostic criteria of any mental disorder were fulfilled by 95% of
the sample; half of whom were diagnosed with a schizophrenia spectrum
disorder. The participants with schizophrenia spectrum disorders had lower
global functioning, were more often in contact with the mental health services
and had higher PANSS and Examination of Anomalous Self-Experiences
(EASE) scores compared to those with non-schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
The participants fulfilling the criteria for schizophrenia spectrum disorders
had lower EASE and PANSS scores than usually reported in the literature,
suggesting more “symptom-poor” presentations.
Conclusion: Psychiatric illness and particularly schizophrenia spectrum
disorders affecting social interaction and the ability to take part in educational
and work-life were grossly overrepresented in the NEET sample. Our findings
suggest that pronounced social disconnection in youth in and of itself should
lead to suspect the presence of a severe mental disorder.
adolescence or early adulthood. Often the symptomatology is vague initially,
while a marked functional decline and social withdrawal can be seen.
A group of young people with such social and functional impairments is
the so-called “Not in Education, Employment or Training” (NEET), i.e., a
youth population that is socially disconnected from education and worklife.
Despite the NEET group’s disconnection from important parts of social
life and a rising concern of an intersection with mental health problems, a
psychopathological perspective on the problems experienced by this group
remains underexplored.
Aim: To examine a NEET sample for psychopathology and if relevant allocate
psychiatric diagnoses.
Methods: We performed an interview study comprising 40 participants from
youth job-counseling services. All underwent a comprehensive psychiatric
evaluation. Inclusion criteria were 18–29 years of age and a welfare benefit
history of minimum 6 months.
Results: Diagnostic criteria of any mental disorder were fulfilled by 95% of
the sample; half of whom were diagnosed with a schizophrenia spectrum
disorder. The participants with schizophrenia spectrum disorders had lower
global functioning, were more often in contact with the mental health services
and had higher PANSS and Examination of Anomalous Self-Experiences
(EASE) scores compared to those with non-schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
The participants fulfilling the criteria for schizophrenia spectrum disorders
had lower EASE and PANSS scores than usually reported in the literature,
suggesting more “symptom-poor” presentations.
Conclusion: Psychiatric illness and particularly schizophrenia spectrum
disorders affecting social interaction and the ability to take part in educational
and work-life were grossly overrepresented in the NEET sample. Our findings
suggest that pronounced social disconnection in youth in and of itself should
lead to suspect the presence of a severe mental disorder.
| Originalsprog | Engelsk |
|---|---|
| Artikelnummer | 1015616 |
| Tidsskrift | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| Vol/bind | 13 |
| Antal sider | 11 |
| ISSN | 1664-0640 |
| DOI | |
| Status | Udgivet - 26 okt. 2022 |