The evaluation of non-specific risk indicators in improving detection of psychosis-spectrum liability

Psychosis-spectrum disorders remain a leading cause of disability for both individuals and society, with early identification and prevention efforts representing a promising avenue of research for addressing these concerns. One potential impediment to improving early risk identification is the historical focus on indicators thought to be exclusive to the psychosis-spectrum. This focus often comes at the expense of non-specific risk factors (e.g., disrupted sleep, adverse childhood experiences) which contribute to the risk of developing psychosis as well as other mental illnesses. Research suggests the inclusion of these non-specific factors may improve our ability to identify those at risk. The present research collected data on a wide array of both specific and non-specific risk factors to develop a new, more holistic measure of psychosis-spectrum risk. A novel brief measure was developed, the Inclusive Psychosis Risk Inventory (IPRI), which compared favorably to existing psychosis-spectrum risk measures when looking at multiple fit indices as well as when predicting quality of life. The results of this study suggest the IPRI may provide a more holistic, comprehensive snapshot of psychosis-spectrum risk by including both non-specific and specific risk indicators within a single measure. Future research should seek to replicate these findings in more diverse samples and investigate the IPRI’s ability to predict clinical outcomes.