RESEARCH WEEKLY: May Research Roundup for World Schizophrenia Day
By Kelli South
(May 25, 2022) Research Roundup is a monthly public service of the Office of Research and Public Affairs. Each edition describes a striking new data point about severe mental illness and summarizes recently published research reports or developments. This month’s roundup is in honor of World Schizophrenia Day, which was yesterday, May 24.
DATAPOINT OF THE MONTH
2.8 million adults with schizophrenia in the United States
There were approximately 2.8 million adults with schizophrenia living in the United States in 2020 and about 40% of these individuals, or 1.1 million adults, are untreated at any given time. For more data on severe mental illness, including updated prevalence numbers based on the 2020 US Census, see our By the Numbers page.
RESEARCH OF THE MONTH
Targeting dietary habits of individuals with schizophrenia
The life expectancy of those with schizophrenia is an estimated 10-25 years shorter than the life expectancy of those without the severe mental illness. Researchers are constantly looking for ways to decrease this mortality gap and a new study from Current Opinion in Psychiatry reviewed recent findings on the dietary habits of patients with schizophrenia. One finding highlighted in the study is that 10.7% of individuals with schizophrenia were found to have a healthy dietary pattern compared to 23% of the general population. The authors also emphasized findings from a study that showed a lifestyle program intervention for those with first-episode psychosis increased diet quality by 10% compared to treatment as usual.
The authors note that addressing the diet habits of those with schizophrenia is another potential treatment tool to close the mortality gap, combat weight-gain side effects from medicines and increase quality of life. Additionally, they call for more research into the potential effects of anti-inflammatory diets and diets that target gut microbiome health as a way to reduce schizophrenia symptom severity.
Attitudes toward genetic testing for schizophrenia
A new study from the European Journal of Human Genetics contains interviews with individuals with schizophrenia and those with a first-degree relative who has schizophrenia to gather information about their opinions on genetic testing for the illness. Since the causes of schizophrenia are still not fully understood, genetic testing can only give a range of risk for an individual to develop the illness. The authors sought to understand the attitudes and opinions associated with genetic counseling, finding that the majority of those interviewed understood their risks for developing schizophrenia to be “like a cocktail” that involves both genetic risks and environmental factors.
The group of interviewees generally viewed genetic testing as favorable and acknowledged that it could be particularly beneficial for those who know they are at risk for schizophrenia, so they can get treatment earlier if they begin to develop symptoms and avoid potential environmental triggers that could increase their risk. As accuracy in genetic testing for all illnesses advances, the authors note that it is important to understand existing attitudes toward testing for schizophrenia to identify how these advancements may be received in the future by the population who is most impacted.
The gut microbiome and schizophrenia
There is growing interest in the gut microbiome (GMB) and its relationship to various illnesses, including schizophrenia. A new analysis from Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology reviews the literature on the relationship between the GMB and schizophrenia, as well as the role that antipsychotics, probiotics and prebiotics play in this relationship. The study reaffirms the growing evidence of an association between changes in the GMB and schizophrenia symptoms – increased levels of various bacteria in the gut appear to be related to increased positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
Furthermore, the authors note that the presence of antipsychotics and poor dietary habits can further alter the makeup of the GMB. They also review literature that examines the potential of probiotics and prebiotics to regulate the GMB, reduce symptoms of schizophrenia, and reverse effects on the GMB that may result from antipsychotics. There are still many unknowns surrounding the associations between the GMB and severe mental illness and the authors call for further research into the topic, which is important for those individuals who want to reduce their schizophrenia symptom severity and further understand the origins of their illness.
