Psychoses

The research focus of the group is on the early detection and early treatment of psychosis. The team has taken part in two multi-center studies on early detection of clinical high risk of psychosis (CHR). As part of The Zurich Program for Sustainable Development of Mental Health services, a comprehensive longitudinal early recognition project for schizophrenia- and bipolar-spectrum disorders with multi-level assessment of psychopathology, neurocognitive, neurophysiological, genetic, structural, and functional brain abnormalities was carried out (ZInEP, Gerstenberg et al., 2016) in which the team was responsible for the recruitment and assessment of adolescents. Furthermore, the team participated in the binational evaluation Bi-national Evaluation of CHR  Symptoms in children and adolescents (BEARS-Kid- Study, Schultze-Lutter et al., 2022). 

Building on the experience from the clinical work on early detection, the smartphone supported intervention  program  “Robin”   for young people at clinical risk of psychosis (CHR) was developed. The effectiveness of the treatment approach “Robin” is currently being investigated in clinical trial ETRo (Evaluation of the treatment program Robin, Traber-Walker et al., 2019). The therapy manual of the treatment program was published in German language by Springer in 2022, and the authors are currently working on an English translation. In addition to the therapy manual, the authors have created a smartphone app as an add-on tool for the treatment (see www.robinz.uzh.ch). It aims to assess symptoms in real time, offer help in coping with symptoms and stressful situations in everyday life and to support medication adherence. The smartphone app Robin Z was originally intended for working with psychotic patients as well as CHR patients, but the app is now used trans diagnostically with all therapy patients in both outpatient and inpatient services of the clinic.  Robin Z has been downloaded over 8,000 times worldwide. The app is currently translated into English, German, French, Italian, Ukrainian and Nederlands.