Migration in patients with early psychosis: A 3-year prospective follow-up study

Early psychosis programs treat high ratios of migrants, given they display higher rates of psychosis. Studies on this topic are limited and less is known about outcomes. The aim of this study was to compare the premorbid, baseline and outcome profile of patients according to migration (M) and migration in psychosocial adversity (MA) in order to explore if there were differences suggesting particular needs in terms of treatment. 257 early psychosis patients aged 18-35 years old were followed-up over 36 months. MA (29.6%) and M (17.9%) were compared to patients who were born in Switzerland (NM). At entry to the program, MA patients had poorer functional levels and higher symptom intensity. MA patients were more likely to report past exposure to trauma. While M patients have similar outcome compared to NM patients, MA patients were less likely to reach symptom remission, displayed lower functioning and were more likely to relapse. Results suggests that migration in adversity is a potential determinant of functional impairment in early psychosis. While patients who migrated in other contexts have a better outcome, patients who experienced migration in adversity have specific needs considering they are less integrated and more likely to have been exposed to trauma.