The Hong Kong Morbidity Survey 2010 Part 3: Epidemiology Study of Psychosis Disorder and Sub-clinical Psychotic Experiences

Psychotic disorders (including schizophrenia) are complex neurobehaviour disorders influenced by genetic, neurodevelopmental, neurochemical, as well as psychosocial factors. Amongst these risk factors, recent findings have highlighted the roles of immigration, urban upbringing, high paternal age, psychoactive substance abuse, as well as stressful early experiences. Despite significant progresses in pharmacotherapy, the disorder often result in long-term disability ranked globally amongst the top ten leading causes of disability-adjusted life years (DALYS, WHO). The World health Organization concludes that the burden and human suffering associated with psychosis is extensive and results in high service and societal costs. Identification and treatment of psychotic disorders (sometimes referred to as Severe Mental Illness, or SMI) is a priority in most mental health services worldwide. However such efforts are challenging because of the help-seeking is severely compromised by reluctance, stigmatization, lack of knowledge, and poor accessibility. This has resulted in long delays before treatment, as well as lack of information about the community prevalence, and associated disability and risk factors for psychosis (ref DUP paper). Availability of these data for Hong Kong will facilitate service planning, early detection and intervention efforts, as well as the consideration of population level preventative strategies.

Availability data suggest that the prevalence of psychosis in the community is substantially higher (5.5-28%, vanos 09) than the prevalence of treated disorder (1-3.5%, vanos09 ), raising important questions about the what determines whether and when psychotic disorders are intercepted in a particular service setting. It is vital to also to obtain information about the untreated cases, in terms of risk factors and protective factors, disability, as well as obstacles to help-seeking.

Community level data for psychotic disorders in Hong Kong is sparse and there has been no territory-wide population-level epidemiology. The Hong Kong population has several distinctive features which are of particular scientific interest and public health concern in relation to psychosis. Although the overall prevalence of substance abuse is low, there is disproportionate use of ketamine in Hong Kong, which interferes with glutaminergic neurotransmission. The relationship between ketamine use and risk for psychosis is of aetiological and clinical interest. In addition, the unique societal context of Hong Kong has resulted in a high proportion of immigrants from China. Moreover, a cohort of people with relatively high paternal age is entering the risk period of developing psychotic disorders (resulting from older man from Hong Kong and younger women from neighbouring parts of China in the previous decades).

Previous relevant study included a district survey, which was more than a quarter of a century old, and was of limited generalization value because of the uneven socioeconomic distribution amongst Hong Kong's 18 districts, resulting in likely uneven distribution of individual with psychosis amongst them. Other relevant data included data of treated new onset cases from Hong Kong's early intervention service (EASY, annual incidence of at least 600 cases under 25, and estimated 1200-1500 in all age groups), with the limitations of treated incidence discussed above.

The investigators propose a territory-wide epidemiological study of psychosis. The study aims to (1) measure the prevalence of psychotic symptoms in the Hong Kong population; (2) explore associated risk and protective factors for the expression of psychotic symptoms; (3) characterize the functional disability in people with psychotic symptoms; and (4) study the determinant of clinical presentation or non-presentation in people with psychotic symptoms.