Disorder, not just state of risk: Meta-analysis of functioning and quality of life in people at high risk of psychosis

The nosology of the psychosis high-risk state is controversial. Traditionally conceived as an 'at risk' state for the development of psychotic disorders, it is also conceptualised as a clinical syndrome associated with functional impairment. To investigate meta-analytically the functional status of patients at high clinical risk for psychosis and its association with longitudinal outcomes. Three meta-analyses compared level of functioning (n = 3012) and quality of life (QoL) (n = 945) between a high-risk group, a healthy control group and group with psychosis, and baseline functioning in people in the high-risk group who did or did not have a transition to psychosis at follow-up (n = 654). People at high risk had a large impairment in functioning (P