The St John of God Research Foundation (SJOG Research) announces the opening this week of a new Centre dedicated specifically to Psychosis Research. The newly established St John of God Psychosis Research Centre (SJOG Psychosis Research Centre) builds on the organisation’s respected heritage of supporting those with mental ill health.
With up to 45,000 people affected by psychosis at any one time in Ireland, the SJOG Psychosis Research Centre will aim to harness research activity and coordinate efforts across all of St John of God (SJOG) group and to offer the opportunity to strengthen collaborations nationally with other leading specialists in the area. The research outputs will inform the delivery of psychosis treatment across all relevant SJOG services and support its policies and advocacy programmes to develop improved mental health services.
A key initiative of the SJOG Psychosis Research Centre will be Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) meaning people with lived experience will be actively involved in the planning, conducting, and sharing of research findings. Conor Gavin, who has been recruited as the Psychosis Research Centre Co-Ordinator has himself lived experience in this area and is looking forward to bringing it to bear in the development of the Centre.
“As a person with my own lived experience of psychosis, I am thrilled to be a part of this new initiative in St John of God. It’s inspiring to see the work that has been done over the last number of decades to strive for better outcomes in this area of mental health. My motivation always stems from my own personal experience, and I often ask: ‘What would have worked for me?’ when I approach research questions. I am hugely excited to work with St John of God Research Foundation, researchers and clinicians alongside others with lived experience to help bring this project to fruition.”
SJOG has provided services in Ireland for those with mental ill-health for nearly 150 years and research began over 40 years ago. The SJOG Research was incorporated in 2011 to solidify SJOG commitment to research.
Dr Lesley O’Hara, CEO SJOG Research said,
We are incredibly proud to support the establishment of the St John of God Psychosis Research Centre. Our organisation has a long-standing reputation as leaders in this field of research, and we welcome the opportunity to extend our expertise to include research across the life span, and with disability and minority groups. A central focus of the new Centre is the person with psychosis, and their family. They will have the opportunity to shape the strategy, ensuring the research conducted is truly reflective of what is important to the people we support.
Collaboration has always been a key part of SJOG with many international researchers in psychosis spending time training in St John of God in Ireland. The SJOG Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) Service known as ‘DETECT’ was founded in 2005 and was the first of its kind in Ireland. It has continued to provide opportunities for building alliances across the globe and it has informed international services and policies.
Professor Mary Clarke, Consultant Psychiatrist , St John of God DETECT Service said:
The St John of God Psychosis Research Centre builds on a strong legacy of clinical research in psychosis, grounded in the collaboration of clinicians, researchers, and the lived experience of individuals with psychosis and their families. We are excited by the opportunity to bring diverse areas of expertise together and to learn from one another, fostering a culture of shared purpose, curiosity and respect, in pursuit of better outcomes for individuals with psychosis. We are committed to translating research into better care, from early detection and intervention to long-term recovery.
The research evidencing and acting on early intervention programmes and initiatives is a step in better care for people.
In addition, the SJOG Psychosis Research Centre will provide research training, with a focus on supporting people to be leaders in this field. It goes further to support the full health service development and improvement cycle for psychosis, from research to policy and from implementation to evaluation.
Uniquely, the SJOG group of companies delivers services but also funds and carries out research on mental ill-health, implements its research findings into policy and practice, and builds clinical services based on the evidence.
Notes & Background
Psychosis Research in SJOG
Formal research in SJOG was founded nearly 40 years ago and shortly after the establishment of a local specialist psychosis research unit in 1985. From this unit came the pioneering First Episode Psychosis cohort study in 1995 which saw subsequent four, eight, twelve and twenty year follow-up studies. The SJOG Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) Service ‘DETECT’ was founded in 2005 and was the first of its kind in Ireland. DETECT celebrated 20 years in operation earlier this year has now joined the National EIP Programme. SJOG Community Mental Health Services are now setting up the country’s first EIP service for children and adolescents in their Lucena CAMHS clinics.
What is Psychosis?
An estimated one out of every hundred Irish people will experience an episode of psychosis in their lifetime. The exact causes of psychosis are not yet fully understood, and it likely due to a combination of biological, psychological and environmental factors,
Psychosis changes how people think, feel, and perceive the word, and can affect people in several ways:
- Positive Symptoms of Psychosis:
- Loss of touch with reality, for example: delusional beliefs, auditory or visual hallucinations, paranoia
- Negative Symptoms of Psychosis:
- Reduced emotional expression, social withdrawal, lack of motivation, and reduced speech
- Cognitive Difficulties in Psychosis:
- Challenges with memory, concentration and executive functioning
Psychosis can impede an individual’s social and occupational functioning, negatively impacting their ability to return to everyday activities including education and employment. Psychosis can also impact families and loved ones, who may feel worried and unsure how best to help.
Previous international research led by the SJOG DETECT found that prolonged untreated psychosis results in poorer long-term outcomes – highlighting the need for early detection, intervention and prevention.
This research also underlined the importance of seeking help from mental health services, via one’s GP, as soon as possible after people first experience the signs and symptoms of psychosis.
Evidence-based interventions, delivered by early intervention in psychosis services such as SJOG DETECT, seek to improve recovery and prevent relapse during the critical first three to five years after onset. In addition to rapid access to specialist assessment, EIP services provide a range of supports. These include psychological interventions (e.g. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy); family interventions; and physical health and lifestyle interventions. This comprehensive approach, in addition to those provided by the community mental health teams provides specialist support to service users and their families at what can be an extremely difficult and stressful time in their lives.
It is important to note that full recovery from psychosis is achievable. While psychosis is a challenging experience to navigate, timely intervention and the right support is key to enabling a sustained recovery.