Clinical High Risk for Psychosis (CHR-P)

CHR-P refers to the early symptoms of an illness that may raise the likelihood of developing a psychotic disorder, or a period of perceptual disturbances that deviate from a person’s previous experiences and behaviors ().

Psychotic disorders are often preceded by prodromal changes that can last between several days to years, which can foreshadow the onset of illness. The CHRP period is a potentially vital time for intervention to improve treatment response and long term functional outcomes.

Some signs and symptoms of CHR-P can look like:

• Social withdraw or isolation
• Poor hygiene
• Unusual thoughts or behaviors
• Increased difficulty at school or work
• Sadness or Anxiety
• Feeling ‘numb’
• Changes in the way things look or sound
• Seeing things that others may not
• Difficulties with concentration or ‘spacing out
• Suspiciousness or mistrust of others
• It is important to note that a CHR-P diagnosis does not mean that you or your child will go on to develop a psychotic disorder. CHR-P means that someone is showing warning signs of a more serious mental illness. While an individual is at an elevated risk for experiencing psychosis, studies show that those who receive early intervention treatment are less likely to develop a psychotic disorder.

Background: Our Treatment Approach