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Outcome after discharge from an early psychosis program.
Jean Addington1, Donald Addington
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada. jmadding@ucalgary.ca
Schizophrenia Research
|October 3, 2008
Summary
Outcomes after specialized first episode (FE) psychosis programs show continued social functioning improvement. While positive symptoms stabilized, negative symptoms showed signs of improvement post-discharge.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Mental Health Services Research
Background:
- Specialized early psychosis programs aim to improve outcomes for individuals experiencing their first episode (FE) of psychosis.
- Limited data exists on patient trajectories after transitioning from FE services to general mental health care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the long-term outcomes of individuals after discharge from a specialized first episode psychosis service.
- To understand symptom and functioning changes between 1 and 2 years post-discharge.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal follow-up of 200 subjects admitted to a specialized FE service.
- Assessments conducted 1-2 years after discharge; a subset followed up to 5 years.
- Evaluation of positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and social functioning.
Main Results:
- Approximately 50% of initially assessed patients were followed up.
- No significant further improvement in positive symptoms was observed.
- Continued improvement in social functioning and emerging signs of negative symptom improvement were noted.
Conclusions:
- Individuals transitioning from specialized FE services experience sustained social functioning gains.
- While positive symptoms may plateau, negative symptoms and social functioning can continue to improve.
- Further research is needed to optimize care transitions and long-term management for individuals with first episode psychosis.
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