MRC Programme Grant awarded for INTREPID II

Craig Morgan, Professor of Social Epidemiology and Head of the Health Service & Population Research Department, at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, has been awarded an MRC Programme Grant (5 years; £2m) to investigate the variability – in the incidence, presentation, outcome, and impact – of psychotic disorders in diverse developing countries.

Psychotic disorders are frequently distressing conditions in which people experience symptoms such as hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there) and false thoughts or beliefs (delusions). These disorders usually begin at a young age (in the 20s) and often (but not always) lead to long-term distress and suffering. Around 20 million people worldwide experience a psychotic disorder. Over 80% of the world's population live in developing countries, but less than 10% of research on psychotic disorders is done in these settings. This means our knowledge of psychotic disorders in the vast majority of the world is limited.

The aim of this programme, INTREPID II (International Research Programme on Psychoses In Diverse Settings), is to find out more about psychotic disorders in three diverse countries: India, Nigeria, and Trinidad. Using the same methods in each site, the programme will identify, assess, and follow over 2 years a total of 720 individuals with a psychotic disorder who have not been previously treated and 720 individuals without a psychotic disorder.

The information collected will cover symptoms (their development and progression over time), possible causes (risk factors), social circumstances and function, the impact on individuals and families, and physical health problems. This information will be used to compare psychotic disorders between the sites.

“Because there is so little information at the moment about these questions, INTREPID II promises to have a big impact, both on our understanding of psychotic disorders and on how to intervene in more diverse settings”, said Professor Morgan. This is a follow-up study to INTREPID I, which was a 3-year pilot study funded by the Wellcome Trust.  

For further information contact Jack Stonebridge, Senior Press Officer at IoPPN, King’s College London, on +44 (0)207 848 5377 or jack.stonebridge@kcl.ac.uk