Psychosis. Credit: geralt, Pixabay
Psychosis – a serious mental health condition where a person loses touch with reality, experiencing hallucinations and/or delusions – is gaining new attention in Europe.
New research on psychosis is exploring its causes, early warning signs, and potential treatments.
Recent studies from Yale School of Medicine (published online at Neuropsychopharmacology, 2025), UCL (published on PLOS Mental Health, 2024), and Uppsala University (published on Uppsala University, 2025) have revealed some interesting results.
What is psychosis?
Psychosis is when a person loses touch with reality, often experiencing hallucinations, delusions, disorganised thinking, and a lack of motivation. According to researchers at Yale School of Medicine, negative symptoms like memory issues and low motivation often appear first, with hallucinations and delusions showing up as the illness worsens.
How psychosis changes over time
The study published in Neuropsychopharmacology used brain scans to compare early psychosis (within five years of symptom onset) with chronic cases (lasting longer than five years). Researchers found that while early and chronic psychosis share similarities, chronic cases show stronger disruptions in brain networks.
The frontoparietal network – a key brain system that controls flexible thinking and goal-setting – was especially important in both stages. “If we can characterise brain differences to better understand symptoms, then we could potentially identify targets or biomarkers,” said study co-author Dustin Scheinost from Yale.
Machine learning models could predict symptom severity more accurately in chronic patients, suggesting that the longer psychosis progresses without effective treatment, the deeper the brain changes.
Migration and the risk of psychosis
Meanwhile, a UCL-led study found that moving to another country during adolescence can double the risk of developing psychosis. The research, which looked at over 2,000 people across England, France, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands, showed that Black and North African migrants were particularly at risk.
“Adolescence is a key developmental period, critical for establishing our sense of self, so any upheaval to an adolescent’s life could pose risks to their mental health,” said first author Humma Andleeb. “Once people arrive in a new country, they may then face discrimination and language barriers, and adjusting to a new culture and lifestyle can be difficult for an adolescent who is still trying to forge their own identity.”
Europe’s plan to catch psychosis early
Europe has taken proactive steps to address psychosis risks. An EU-funded project called ePreventPsych launched digital screening tools in April to detect early signs of psychosis (Uppsala University, 2025).
Led by Simon Cervenka at Uppsala University, the project aims to roll out these tools across five European countries.
“ePreventPsych has the potential to fundamentally change the care and support for young people at risk of psychosis,” said Cervenka.
The project entails creating web-based methods to detect people who are at risk and, in collaboration with patients and medical professionals, adapting them to various European contexts. The researchers will also test techniques for determining metabolic risk in patients with first-episode psychosis and algorithms that analyse medical data to identify at-risk individuals.
Together, these studies highlight a clear message: early action is key. By identifying brain changes sooner, supporting young migrants, and using technology wisely, Europe could make an impact on reducing the burden of psychosis for future generations.
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