Addington, JeanRomanowska, Sylvia2018-04-262018-04-262018-04-20Romanowska, S. (2018). Exploring Neurocognition and Functional Outcome in Youth at Risk of Serious Mental Illness (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/31841http://hdl.handle.net/1880/106555There is a growing literature that suggests impairments in neurocognitive, social, and role functioning may be markers of susceptibility for serious mental illness development. This study assessed neurocognitive performance and social and role functioning in a sample of youth at risk of serious mental illness across different clinical stages as described by McGorry and colleagues and compared them to healthy controls. The sample consisted of 243 male and female youths aged 12-26 and included: non-help-seeking asymptomatic participants with risk factors (Stage 0; n=41); youth with early mood or anxiety symptoms and distress (Stage 1a; n=52); youth with attenuated psychiatric syndromes (Stage 1b; n=108); and healthy controls (n=42). Each participant underwent a comprehensive clinical and neurocognitive assessment. Subjects in Stage 1b had lower scores than healthy controls across all IQ measures, on the composite score of neurocognitive performance, in the domains of processing speed, working memory, attention/vigilance and reasoning and problem solving and on the social and role functioning measures. Subjects in Stage 1b also had lower scores than subjects in Stage 0 across most IQ measures, on the composite score of neurocognitive performance, in the domains of processing speed, working memory, and social cognition and on the social and role functioning measures. This study demonstrates that impairments in neurocognitive performance and social and role functioning can be present in young people experiencing subthreshold psychiatric symptoms and distress in the absence of a diagnosable mental illness. Further, it offers validation to the clinical staging model in that individuals in the higher stages of risk exhibit poorer functioning.engUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.NeurocognitionSocial and Role FunctioningYouth Mental HealthHigh Risk StateNeurosciencePsychology--CognitivePsychometricsmaster thesishttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/31841