Children and adolescents in Northern Ireland appear to be more likely to suffer psychotic episodes than their peers in the rest of the UK , according to researchers at the Division of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at Queens University of Belfast and the Department of Clinical Psychology at Holywell Hospital, Antrim.

'As yet we can't explain this difference but it seems likely to be associated with the particular social conditions in Northern Ireland, including the long-term effects of "the Troubles",' said lead researcher, Dr Ciaran Mulholland of the Division of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at Queens' University.

'Previous research has shown that there is on average double the rate of psychosis in adults in Northern Ireland compared to the rest of the Britain, apart from London. It might be expected that with the paramilitary ceasefires in 1994, today's teenagers would be less exposed to violence,' said researcher, Katrina Hoy . 'However, it must be remembered that there has been continuing low level conflict.'

The team plans to continue to investigate the reasons for the higher rate of psychosis in Northern Ireland. 'What is certain is the need to correct the under-provision of services for this age group,' he said.

The researchers profiled all new patients under 18 years old who presented with psychosis between July 2001 and July 2006 in a paper presented at the Royal College of Psychiatrists' annual meeting. They found an incidence of psychosis of 5.7 per 10,000 of under-18 year olds - which the researchers say appears to a higher incidence rate than the incidence of adolescent-onset psychosis in the Trent region.

Of the 125 cases, the first psychiatric symptoms showed at an average age of 11, with the first psychotic symptoms showing three years later. Nine out of ten of the teenagers, 70 per cent of whom were male, had been exposed to trauma including: bullying, social isolation, or emotional, physical or sexual abuse. A total of 15 per cent had been directly exposed to 'the Troubles', for example paramilitary death threats to family members immediately before the onset of psychosis.

Four out of ten came from two parent families and there was a high rate of psychiatric disorder in the patients' parents: 64 per cent had a parent who suffered from depression, 32 per cent had an alcoholic parent and one in five patients a parent with a psychotic illness.

The Royal College Of Psychiatrists Annual Meeting
Edinburgh International Conference Centre
19-22 June 2007
www.rcpsych.ac