Early psychosis care in Brazil: a comparative study of a specialized university center and community-based services

To compare early intervention strategies for psychosis between community-based Psychosocial Care Centers (Centros de Atenção Psicossocial) and a specialized university service (Grupo de Atenção às Psicoses Iniciais) in Brazil, assessing early intervention fidelity, recovery-oriented practices, and professional stigma.

The First Episode Psychosis Services Fidelity Scale, Recovery Self-Assessment, and a stigma questionnaire evaluated early intervention fidelity, recovery-oriented practices, and stigma. Data from both services were analyzed to examine correlations.

There was greater fidelity to early intervention strategies in the specialized university service, whereas the Psychosocial Care Centers scored higher in recovery-oriented practices. Despite their lower overall early intervention fidelity, the Psychosocial Care Centers already incorporated several components of early intervention. No significant differences in stigma levels were observed. Higher recovery-oriented practices correlated with fewer negative stereotypes, while greater early intervention fidelity correlated with fewer positive stereotypes.

The findings highlight the complementary strengths of both service models. Although improving early intervention fidelity in Psychosocial Care Centers is a priority, their existing community-based structure and orientation toward recovery offer a strong platform for expanding these services. An integrated approach combining specialized early intervention strategies with robust recovery-oriented practices could optimize outcomes and reduce stigma.