Child and/or Adolescent Mental Health Research Chair

Dr. Jean Addington, the inaugural Alberta Centennial Mental Health Research Chair, is one of the leading researchers in the area of early detection and prevention of psychosis, via early intervention in the prodromal phase of the illness. Schizophrenia often strikes young people in their early 20s, but there is reason to believe that individuals with pre-psychotic symptoms can be identified, at a point when early education, psychosocial intervention, or medication could either prevent or delay the onset of a more serious psychotic illness.

It is believed that this disability develops in the years preceding the onset of psychotic symptoms, the prodromal period, in which social withdrawal and the evolution of negative symptoms form the foundation on which psychotic symptoms develop. Working with adolescents as young as 13 years old, Dr. Addington seeks to determine whether symptoms can be predicted and treated prior to a full blown psychotic episode. The goal of Dr. Addington's research is to minimize the impact of the disease early on, thus moving psychotic illness from the category of severe and persistent mental illness into the same realm as disorders such as anxiety, depression, or chronic medical conditions such as diabetes. She argues that, "if you encourage people to get help before they become psychotic, hopefully the symptoms can be controlled before they become severe and more disrupting and disabling."

The Chairs Program aims to address two major, related goals: increasing Alberta's excellence and output of mental health research findings, and the translation of these findings into practice improvements. Dr. Addington's research suggests that, if the long-term disability so often associated with schizophrenia is to be addressed, it is likely going to require the development of approaches to identifying and treating individuals during this critical very early phase of the illness, childhood and adolescence. Moreover, this research can serve to inform mental health policy about the delivery of preventative approaches to mental illness, potentially reducing personal, social, and healthcare costs. Through knowledge gained regarding prodromal symptoms in psychosis and associated practice improvements, Dr. Addington's research will help fulfill the Program goals by promoting evidence-driven changes in mental health practice.

Dr. Jean Addington's Annual Report June 2009