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Advancements and Future Directions in Clinical Psychosis
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Advancements and Future Directions in Clinical Psychosis

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Mental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 August 2026 | Viewed by 2702

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Marco Colizzi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, UD, Italy
Interests: psychosis; neuropsychopharmacology; brain imaging; cannabinoids; cognitive neuroscience; prevention and early intervention in mental health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Alessandra Martinelli

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Unit of Epidemiological Psychiatry and Digital Mental Health, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
Interests: rehabilitation; recovery; supported accommodation; social psychiatry; digital health; epidemiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue "Advancements and Future Directions in Clinical Psychosis" aims at addressinh the evolving landscape of psychosis research by highlighting recent breakthroughs and identifying critical challenges in clinical practice. Despite progress in neurobiological understanding, diagnostics, and therapeutic interventions, psychosis remains a complex and heterogeneous condition with significant unmet needs. Core problems include early detection, treatment resistance, and long-term functional outcomes. This collection seeks contributions that explore innovative diagnostic tools, personalized treatment strategies, neurocognitive and psychosocial approaches, and digital or AI-assisted interventions.

The scope encompasses original research, clinical trials, reviews, and translational studies focused on the schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders. Emphasis will be placed on interdisciplinary perspectives that bridge gaps between neuroscience, psychiatry, and public health.

Researchers, clinicians, and mental health professionals are encouraged to contribute their findings to foster collaborative advancement and shape future clinical frameworks. Through this mobilization, this Special Issue aspires to inform best practices and stimulate next-generation solutions in psychosis care.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Brain Sciences.

Dr. Marco Colizzi
Dr. Alessandra Martinelli
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • clinical psychosis
  • schizophrenia spectrum disorders
  • early detection of psychosis
  • treatment-resistant psychosis
  • long-term outcomes
  • personalized psychiatry
  • digital mental health
  • AI in psychiatry
  • neurocognitive interventions
  • psychosocial therapies
  • translational psychiatry
  • interdisciplinary mental health
  • psychosis clinical trials
  • innova-tive diagnostic tools

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 614 KB  
Article
Exploring Sex Differences in Physical Activity Patterns Among Individuals with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: Insights from the Diapason Project
by Alessandra Martinelli, Elena Toffol, Giulia Moncalieri, Silvia Leone, Jacopo Santambrogio, Fabrizio Starace, Manuel Zamparini, Martina Carnevale, Giovanni de Girolamo and Stefano Calza
J. Clin. Med. 2026, 15(5), 1785; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15051785 - 27 Feb 2026
Viewed by 393
Abstract
Background: Schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) affect females differently than males, yet there is limited research on Physical Activity (PA) levels and sex differences in patients with SSD. This study aimed at comparing PA levels between female and male SSD patients and controls. [...] Read more.
Background: Schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) affect females differently than males, yet there is limited research on Physical Activity (PA) levels and sex differences in patients with SSD. This study aimed at comparing PA levels between female and male SSD patients and controls. Methods: Altogether, 132 SSD residents and outpatients (48 females and 84 males) and 113 controls (46 females and 67 males) were assessed using standardised clinical tools. PA was monitored for seven consecutive days using a tri-axial ActiGraph GT9X accelerometer and quantified using the Euclidean Norm Minus One (ENMO) as an index of overall movement intensity. Descriptive and regression analyses were conducted. Results: Most patients were unemployed and overweight; males were less educated, less often divorced, smoking more, and using more antipsychotics than females (p < 0.05). Patients were less likely to be married, educated, employed, and had higher BMI and smoking rates than controls. Among patients, there were no significant sex differences in daily PA levels. In the control group, males showed slightly higher PA levels than females, although this difference did not reach statistical significance. Objective PA levels were not significantly associated with clinical outcomes in either female or male patients with SSD. Conclusions: Patients with SSD exhibited similarly low levels of objectively measured PA regardless of sex, suggesting a “flattening” phenomenon of sex differences in PA. These findings highlight the need for interventions aimed at promoting PA in individuals with SSD and support further research to identify factors influencing PA engagement across sexes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancements and Future Directions in Clinical Psychosis)
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15 pages, 1427 KB  
Article
PsyAPP: The Development of a Mobile Application for Effective Health Management in Mentally Ill Patients
by Marta Llorente-Alonso, Cristina García-Ael, Gabriela Topa, Ana Fernández-Araque, Lourdes Jiménez-Navascués, Mª Ángeles Martínez-Casado, Irene Garcés Carretero and Andrea Cuervas-Mons Tejedor
J. Clin. Med. 2026, 15(2), 894; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15020894 - 22 Jan 2026
Viewed by 336
Abstract
Background/Objectives: In recent decades, new technologies have been progressively integrated into various areas of mental health care. Mobile applications are potentially effective tools that allow psychiatric patients themselves to access self-management resources and tools within the community setting. Mental health nursing plays [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: In recent decades, new technologies have been progressively integrated into various areas of mental health care. Mobile applications are potentially effective tools that allow psychiatric patients themselves to access self-management resources and tools within the community setting. Mental health nursing plays a key role in enabling patients to take an active role in their care and in promoting activities that foster their involvement and empowerment. The primary aim of this pilot study was to develop the PsyAPP mobile application to support both nurses and individuals with mental illness in managing care and improving health outcomes, and to assess its feasibility within a real-world clinical setting. Methods: A mobile application (PSYAPP) and a complementary web-based nursing management platform were designed and implemented. A total of 20 psychiatric patients enrolled in a partial hospitalization program in Soria (Spain) participated. Participants were assigned to experimental (app users) and control groups. Psychological empowerment, global functioning, and suicide risk were assessed before and after the intervention. Results: Patients who used the application showed significantly greater psychological empowerment (W = 2.04, p ≤ 0.04) compared with the control group. Statistically significant improvements were observed in psychological, social, and occupational functioning. Regarding suicide risk, no statistically significant changes were detected between pre- and post-intervention measurements in either group. Overall, PSYAPP demonstrated feasibility and potential utility as an innovative tool to support mental health care follow-up. Conclusions: This study developed and implemented a mobile application designed to enhance mental health care by supporting both patients and psychiatric nurses. Results showed significant improvements in global functioning in both the app and control groups, suggesting that rehabilitative treatment contributed to overall progress. Suicide risk did not significantly change within groups, although improvements were seen in the full sample, likely due to clinical care rather than app use. Only the experimental group demonstrated increased psychological empowerment, indicating that the app may effectively enhance patient engagement and involvement in their own care. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancements and Future Directions in Clinical Psychosis)
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Review

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26 pages, 3483 KB  
Review
UHPLC-MS/MS for Antipsychotic Drug Monitoring: A Systematic Review of Clinical and Analytical Performance
by Ciprian-Ionuț Băcilă, Bianca-Maria Macavei, Monica Cornea, Bogdan Ioan Vintilă, Andrei Lomnășan, Claudia Elena Anghel, Andreea Maria Grama, Cristina Elena Dobre, Claudia Marina Ichim and Gabriela Cioca
J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(21), 7544; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14217544 - 24 Oct 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1607
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of antipsychotic medications plays an important role in optimizing treatment efficacy, reducing adverse effects, and supporting adherence. While Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS) has long been the gold standard for antipsychotic quantification, recent advances in [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of antipsychotic medications plays an important role in optimizing treatment efficacy, reducing adverse effects, and supporting adherence. While Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS) has long been the gold standard for antipsychotic quantification, recent advances in automated platforms and microsampling raise questions about its current clinical practicality. This systematic review evaluated the clinical applicability and analytical performance of UHPLC-based methods for monitoring antipsychotic drugs, focusing on precision, recovery, matrix effects, and suitability across various biological matrices. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted for studies published between 2013 and 2024 involving UHPLC-based quantification of antipsychotics in clinical samples from adult patients. Data on analytical parameters, sample matrices, and study characteristics were extracted. A custom quality checklist was used to assess methodological rigor. In addition to qualitative synthesis, non-traditional quantitative approaches were applied, including descriptive aggregation of recovery, matrix effects, and precision across studies, as well as correlation analyses to explore relationships among performance parameters. Results: Twelve studies were included, spanning a range of typical and atypical antipsychotics and metabolites. Plasma and serum demonstrated the highest analytical reliability (recovery >90%, minimal matrix effects), while dried blood spots (DBSs), whole blood, and oral fluid showed greater variability. Clinically, UHPLC–MS/MS enabled more accurate dose adjustments and identification of non-adherence, outperforming immunoassays in sensitivity, specificity, and metabolite detection. Microsampling methods showed promise for outpatient and decentralized care but require further clinical validation. Conclusions: UHPLC–MS/MS remains the most robust and reliable method for TDM of antipsychotics, especially when quantification of active metabolites is required. While logistical barriers remain, technological advances may enhance feasibility and support broader integration into routine psychiatric care. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancements and Future Directions in Clinical Psychosis)
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