Cultural and Contextual Considerations in the Early Identification of Risk for Psychosis

This presentation will provide an overview of the psychosis risk syndrome and how racial and ethnic factors have influenced diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes—both historically and in the current time. The presentation will also touch on the current state of psychosis risk screening, including the strengths and weaknesses of currently available risk screening tools, and what needs to be done to develop more culturally and contextually sensitive instruments to prevent over- and misdiagnosis of psychosis-risk. Finally, recommendations for clinicians to begin developing culturally sensitive practices in clinical assessment and intervention will be offered. At the end of the presentation, participants should have gained knowledge of psychosis and risk, with a focus on social/societal/systems influences; be able to identify signs of psychosis-risk symptoms through exposure to risk assessment tools; recognize how attention to cultural and contextual factors inform assessment strategies; and describe actions that can be taken to change the status quo with respect to potential biases and health disparities in this field.  
 
Objectives: 
1. Provide an overview of psychosis and risk, with a focus on social/societal/systems influences 
2. Identify signs of psychosis risk symptoms through exposure to risk assessment tools 
3. Recognize how attention to cultural and contextual factors inform assessment strategies 
4. Describe actions that can be taken to change the status quo with respect to potential biases and health disparities in this field