The International Study on General Practitioners and Early Psychosis (IGPS)

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• General Practice
• Public Health

Background:

• General practitioners (GPs) are the first point of contact for young people experiencing psychosis.
• Limited understanding exists regarding GPs' expertise in assessing psychosis and its associated risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic and treatment practices of GPs concerning psychosis across diverse healthcare systems.
• To compare the knowledge and practices of GPs in gatekeeping versus non-gatekeeping healthcare systems.

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to 12,516 randomly selected GPs across seven countries.
• The study differentiated between gatekeeping (GK) and non-gatekeeping (nGK) healthcare systems.
• Response rate was 22% (n=2784).

Main Results:

• GPs reported low prevalence of early psychosis in general practice.
• Gatekeeping GPs demonstrated superior knowledge of early psychosis symptoms compared to non-gatekeeping GPs.
• GPs with less knowledge were more likely to refer suspected cases to specialists and preferred access to specialized services over continuing medical education.

Conclusions:

• GPs require enhanced education on early psychosis, particularly functional decline indicators.
• The low incidence of psychosis and GP preference for referral services suggest a need for specialized early psychosis assessment and care services.
• Current GP-recommended treatment durations and relapse risk assessments fall short of international guidelines.