Do sociodemographic and study variables impact eating disorder diagnosis in clinical high-risk for psychosis youth? A study protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Introduction: Many studies have shown that youth at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P) suffer from multiple psychopathological syndromes. Currently, evidence about eating disorders (EDs) in this clinical population is limited. Here we present a research protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis aiming at estimating the impact of sociodemographic and study variables on the ED diagnosis in CHRP youth and of summarizing the available knowledge on clinical characteristics of CHR-P patients with EDs. Methods: PubMed, EBSCO/APA PsycINFO, and Web of Science will be searched for studies published from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2022. Original research evaluating EDs in CHR-P samples with reliables instruments will be considered. Two independent reviewers will screen the studies and assess their quality with a modified version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Disagreements will be solved by contacting a third judge. A narrative synthesis will be conducted. Whenever applicable, randomeffect models (proportions) and meta-regressions will be run to extracted data. This research will comply with the PRISMA guidelines. Results: We expect to retrieve more cross-sectional than longitudinal studies. Meta-regression will examine the role of potential moderators. The narrative synthesis will focus on clinical characteristics of EDs in CHR-P youth, especially regarding functioning, symptoms, and bodily sensations. Discussion: Since the empirical literature regarding EDs in CHR-P samples is limited, this study aims to add knowledge on the field and inform preventive interventions aimed at addressing EDs in CHR-P patients.