Overview
- Analyzing health records for 12.2 million Ontarians born between 1960 and 2009, researchers identified 152,587 people diagnosed with a psychotic disorder.
- In ages 14 to 20, annual new-case rates rose about 60% from 1997 to 2023, while rates for those 21 to 50 were flat or declining over the same period.
- People born in 2000–2004 had an estimated 70% higher incidence of new diagnoses than those born in 1975–1979, and diagnoses by age 30 were 37.5% higher for the 1990–1994 cohort versus 1975–1979.
- Ontario’s expansion of early psychosis programs likely improved detection, but adjustments for access and diagnosis timing did not eliminate the birth‑cohort effect.
- Authors flag substance use as a potential contributor without claiming causation, note higher risk among males and those in low‑income areas, and urge early detection and added service capacity.