Amber’s Alert: The Objective Diagnosis of Early Psychosis
Objective
To develop and validate a new clinical rating scale that better captures and distinguishes between early psychosis, BPD, cPTSD, and other affective disorders.
Purpose
Diagnosing and treating early-stage mental illness is challenging, particularly in distinguishing between early psychosis, its prodrome, BPD, cPTSD, and affective disorders, which share overlapping symptoms. To address this, we propose “Amber’s Alert,” a diagnostic kit combining revised clinical scales with objective biological markers to support accurate differentiation. This tool will assist clinicians, especially in general and emergency settings, to improve diagnosis, treatment planning, and outcomes, enabling timely interventions for at-risk adolescents and reducing the long-term impact of misdiagnosis.
What's Involved
Participation involves a single in-person visit (approximately 3.5 hours) at the Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc). During this visit, you will:
- Complete questionnaires about your background, mood, well-being, and mental health symptoms
- Undertake cognitive tasks assessing attention, memory, and other thinking abilities
- Participate in an eye-tracking task, which measures subtle patterns in eye movement to help researchers understand how people process emotional and visual information
Who is Eligible?
We are inviting young people aged 16–25, of any gender identity, who have been diagnosed with or are currently experiencing symptoms of:
- Early psychosis or prodromal (early) signs
- Borderline personality disorder (BPD) or complex post-traumatic stress disorder (cPTSD)
- Affective (mood) disorders
- Or other forms of significant emotional or mental distress
Chief Investigator: Professor Jayashri Kulkarni AM
Amber’s Alert: Focus Groups and Scale Development
Objective
To develop and validate a new clinical rating scale that better captures and distinguishes between early psychosis, BPD, cPTSD, and other affective disorders.
Purpose
Diagnosing and treating mental illness in its early stages is challenging, particularly in distinguishing between early psychosis and its prodrome, BPD, cPTSD, and affective disorders. These conditions have overlapping symptoms, complicating accurate diagnosis and treatment. To address this, we propose developing a diagnostic kit, “Amber’s Alert,” which includes revised scales and objective biological markers. This tool aims to help clinicians, especially in general healthcare and emergency settings, accurately differentiate these conditions, improving diagnosis, treatment planning, and outcomes for individuals with mental health disorders. This is particularly crucial for identifying at-risk adolescents early, allowing for timely interventions that can prevent the progression of severe mental illness, reduce the long-term impact on their lives, and to avoid the consequences of inaccurate diagnoses that can lead to inappropriate or delayed treatment.
Who is Eligible?
Men and women aged between 16-25 years of age, with a diagnosis of early psychosis, BPD, cPTSD, depression or anxiety, or adolescents facing significant emotional or psychological distress (adolescent prodrome). Seeking input from lived experience individuals, caregivers and clinicians. Lived experience participants and caregivers can contribute via an online Zoom interview (taking on average 30min). We ask clinicians to complete a short questionnaire and return to us via email.
Chief Investigator: Professor Jayashri Kulkarni
