The modeling of trajectories in psychotic illness

Abstract

The natural history of psychotic illness is one of fluctuating symptoms and functions, from prodromal illness, to first episode, to episodic relapse, and recovery or chronic illness. Recent evidence suggests that complex biological, symptomatic, and functional trajectory patterns underlie clinical presentations and outcomes. Statistical techniques for the analysis of longitudinal data have evolved to provide better estimates of trends and the determinants of growth and change for individual patients. The analysis of complex multimodal trajectories may be key to the personalization of psychosis treatment. This chapter will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of trajectory modeling techniques for psychosis research