About the Prodromal Schizophrenia Empirical and Ethical Nexus (PSEEN) Initiative

The PSEEN Initiative aims to indentify and examine ethical and policy issues generated by rapidly advancing technologies that will allow early detection and possibly prevention of psychosis spectrum disorders.  

In partnership with the Neuropsychiatry Section in Penn's Department of Psychiatry, we will approach these issues along two research tracks: empirical bioethics and normative analysis.

Key problems to be addressed by this initiative will be to clarify the concept of prodromal psychosis and examine derivative ethical challenges, such as appropriate disclosure of risk information, mitigating stigma, and respecting the autonomy of adolescents as transitional decision makers.

The PSEEN Initiative is supported a grant from the Greenwall Foundation.

PSEEN Research Team

Principal Investigator

Dominic Sisti, PhD, MBE, Assistant Professor of Medical Ethics; Director, The Scattergood Program for Applied Ethics in Behavioral Health Care; Department of Medical Ethics & Health Policy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Research Personnel & Significant Contributors

Erich Dress, Clinical Research Coordinator, Neuropsychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.

Monica Calkins, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology; Director, Clinical Research Assessment, Schizophrenia Research Center and Brain Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Neuropsychiatry Section, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Raquel Gur, MD, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology and Radiology; Director, Neuropsychiatry Section and the Schizophrenia Research Center; Vice Chair of Research Development, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine

Andrea Segal, MS, Research Coordinator, The Scattergood Program for Applied Ethics in Behavioral Health Care; Adjunct Instructor, The School of Social Policy and Practice, University of Pennsylvania

Psychosis Risk: What Is It and How Should We Talk About It?

Schizophrenia and other psychosis spectrum disorders do not develop de novo but emerge from prodromal stages that are named and operationalized differently depending on the research group or consortium and its theoretical orientation. As a result, a complex lexicon now exists for characterizing individuals’ risk of subclinical symptoms converting to psychosis. Researchers aim to develop instruments and methods to identify people at risk of psychosis, better understand their risks, and offer preventative treatments to arrest conversion to psychosis; ethical and policy questions loom large with each of these projects. In this paper, we canvass the lexical complexities of the at-risk status for psychosis and then consider ethical and policy challenges that researchers and clinicians face in disclosing, preventing, and treating psychosis risk.

Authors: Dominic Sisti, PhD & Monica Calkins, PhD

Read the Article

Exploring the Lived Experience of Individuals with a Psychosis Spectrum Disorder and their Families

This is an exploratory study seeking to develop a greater understanding of what thoughts, concerns, and perceptions contribute to the lived experience of individuals diagnosed with a psychosis spectrum disorder, their caregivers, and mental health service providers. Qualitative research methodology [freelisting] is used for eliciting information on what issues are of greatest concern to these populations regarding topics such as mental health treatment, participation in research, and expectations for the future. The information obtained is intended to inform future follow-up studies and approaches to treatment and research among psychosis spectrum populations.

Researcher: Erich Dress, MBE, MPH (candidate), Clinical Research Coordinator, Neuropsychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Supervisors: Dominic Sisti, PhD; Rosie Frasso, PhD, MSc; Raquel Gur, MD, PhD

Read the Article