Research.Our current projects are focused on services research, developing and adapting interventions for adolescents with early signs of psychosis across high risk settings.
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Current Research Studies
1. LINC
The 'Liaison Intervention for Navigating Care' study is exploring the development and feasibility of a brief family-oriented intervention for psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents with psychosis-spectrum symptoms to promote treatment engagement and service use after discharge.
2. Safety Net
This study seeks to qualitatively explore co-occurring suicidal thoughts and behaviors and psychosis-spectrum experiences among teens at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis who are hospitalized for acute safety concerns. This study also seeks to develop and pilot a safety plan, with provider guidelines, specifically tailored to CHR teens.
The Strides group is a supplemental skills group intervention that will be paired with the Safety Net protocol in an effort to enhance stress management and coping skills for teens with psychosis-spectrum disorders who are at heightened risk for suicide. Strides will be offered in collaboration with the Stride Clinic and the Healthy Transitions programs who serve adolescents in the community. Participating teens will provide feedback on the group (format and content) and the perceived helpfulness of the intervention.
The Strides group is a supplemental skills group intervention that will be paired with the Safety Net protocol in an effort to enhance stress management and coping skills for teens with psychosis-spectrum disorders who are at heightened risk for suicide. Strides will be offered in collaboration with the Stride Clinic and the Healthy Transitions programs who serve adolescents in the community. Participating teens will provide feedback on the group (format and content) and the perceived helpfulness of the intervention.
3. Psychosis, sleep, and stress study
This project aims to examine daily interrelations between psychosis-spectrum symptoms (hallucinations and paranoia), sleep quality, measured via actigraphy and self-report, and stress, measured via self-report and an inflammatory biomarker (interleukin-1 beta), in adolescents with CHR or FEP conditions.
Current Research Funding
1. A Treatment Engagement Protocol to Improve Follow-Up Care for Psychiatrically Hospitalized Adolescents at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis (12/01/19-11/30/23)
Funded by the National Institute of Mental Healthy (K23 MH119211; PI Thompson)
2. A Qualitative Study of Psychosis and Suicidality to Inform Safety Planning for High-Risk Teens (01/01/21-12/31/23)
Funded by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (YIG-1-167-19; PI Thompson)
Support for the Strides group is provided by the Early Career Supplemental Grant Fund through Brown's Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior ('A Safety Protocol for Adolescents with Psychosis-Spectrum Disorders', 02/01/23-01/31/24; PI Thompson)
3. Psychosis, sleep, and stress in adolescents: An actigraphy and daily diary study (9/1/23-8/31/25)
Funded by the COBRE Center for Sleep and Circadian Rhythms in Child and Adolescent Mental Health (NIGMS P20 GM139743)
Funded by the National Institute of Mental Healthy (K23 MH119211; PI Thompson)
2. A Qualitative Study of Psychosis and Suicidality to Inform Safety Planning for High-Risk Teens (01/01/21-12/31/23)
Funded by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (YIG-1-167-19; PI Thompson)
Support for the Strides group is provided by the Early Career Supplemental Grant Fund through Brown's Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior ('A Safety Protocol for Adolescents with Psychosis-Spectrum Disorders', 02/01/23-01/31/24; PI Thompson)
3. Psychosis, sleep, and stress in adolescents: An actigraphy and daily diary study (9/1/23-8/31/25)
Funded by the COBRE Center for Sleep and Circadian Rhythms in Child and Adolescent Mental Health (NIGMS P20 GM139743)
Completed Projects:
1. CLARITY Project
Reducing the Duration of Untreated Illness Among Youth in the Juvenile Justice System With Psychosis-Spectrum Disorders (08/15/18-06/30/23)
Funded by the National Institute of Mental Healthy (R34 MH115457; PI Spirito, Co-I Thompson)
This study examined the feasibility of identifying youth in the juvenile justice system with psychosis-spectrum experiences and implementing an enhanced referral protocol to engage these youth in a specialized Coordinated Specialty Care treatment program.
1. CLARITY Project
Reducing the Duration of Untreated Illness Among Youth in the Juvenile Justice System With Psychosis-Spectrum Disorders (08/15/18-06/30/23)
Funded by the National Institute of Mental Healthy (R34 MH115457; PI Spirito, Co-I Thompson)
This study examined the feasibility of identifying youth in the juvenile justice system with psychosis-spectrum experiences and implementing an enhanced referral protocol to engage these youth in a specialized Coordinated Specialty Care treatment program.