Study protocol for the Danish High Risk and Resilience Study VIA 19 - from age 15 to age 19: transition from adolescence to early adulthood.

BACKGROUND

Longitudinal clinical cohorts following individuals, who are born to parents with severe mental illness, from childhood into adulthood, provide invaluable insight into development of psychopathology, illness course over time and risk and resilience factors. Further, initiatives to prevent mental illness and support families at risk can be inspired and informed. The Danish High Risk and Resilience Study - the VIA cohort was founded during 2013-2015, where 522 7-year-old individuals born to parents with either schizophrenia bipolar disorder or controls, were recruited together with their parents and thoroughly examined. This study protocol presents the VIA 19 study, which is the fourth wave of the study investigating mental health and neurodevelopment in the 19-year-old participants, now in early adulthood.

METHOD AND

DESIGN

Participants are invited to the clinic for a two-day assessment going through a clinical test battery, resembling that of the former waves and following up on previously selected major primary outcomes including daily functioning and social status, neurocognition, social cognition, mental health status, motor function, risk behavior among many other factors. Additionally, the young adults are invited to participate in neuroimaging, sleep assessment and provide samples of biological and genetic markers.

RESULTS

The data collection started in August 2024. A large effort is put into reaching all the young adults to ensure a high retention rate resembling the rates from the former waves ranging between 82 and 89%.

DISCUSSION: At age 19 we expect several full manifestations of first episode schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Due to the longitudinal design, we will be able to draw trajectories of various kinds of outcomes and thus pinpoint developmental pathways from childhood to early adulthood.