Effect of an early detection programme on duration of untreated psychosis: part of the Scandinavian TIPS study.
BACKGROUND
It is unclear whether an early detection programme increases or decreases the number of patients with a long duration of untreated psychosis (DUP), and whether these differ from other patients with a long DUP.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether the number and characteristics of patients with a long DUP in the early detection programme differ from those with a long DUP in the non-early detection programme.


METHODS
We compared the number and characteristics of patients with a DUP > or =2 years in an early detection area and a non-early detection area.


RESULTS
The early detection programme recruited slightly fewer patients with a long DUP than the non-early detection programme. The patients in the early detection programme had lower PANSS scores, but more frequently had a deteriorating course of premorbid social functioning.


CONCLUSIONS
An early detection programme does not seem to drain a pool of previously undetected patients with a long DUP. The patients in the early detection programme seem to have a lower symptom level at baseline and to have had a deteriorating premorbid social course.
Friis
Svein
S
Department of Research and Education, Division of Psychiatry, Ullevål University Hospital, Oslo N-0407, Norway. svein.friis@medsin.uio.no
Vaglum
Per
P
Haahr
Ulrik
U
Johannessen
Jan Olav
JO
Larsen
Tor K
TK
Melle
Ingrid
I
Opjordsmoen
Stein
S
Rund
Bjørn Risovd
BR
Simonsen
Erik
E
McGlashan
Thomas H
TH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D013997:Time Factors