title: Duration of untreated psychosis and clinical outcomes of first-episode schizophrenia: a 4-year follow-up study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The relationship between the duration of untreated psychosis and long-term clinical outcomes remains uncertain.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Prospectively assess the relationship of the duration of untreated psychosis on clinical outcomes in a sample of individuals with first-onset schizophrenia treated at the Pudong Mental Health Center from January 2007 to December 2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information about general health, psychotic symptoms and social functioning were collected using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale (TESS), Morningside Rehabilitation Status Scale (MRSS), and Social Disability Screening Schedule (SDSS) at baseline and in June 2010 and June 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 43 individuals with first-episode schizophrenia participating in the study were divided into short (<24 weeks) and long (>24weeks) duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) groups. The mean (sd) duration of follow-up was 1197 (401) days in the short DUP group and 1412 (306) days in the long DUP group (t=9.98, p=0.055). Despite less prominent psychotic symptoms at the time of first diagnosis among patients who had a long DUP compared to those with a short DUP (BPRS mean scores, 42.5 [8.4] v. 50.0 [10.6], t=2.42, p=0.0210) and a similar number of clinical relapses (based on positive symptoms assessed by the BPRS), patients with a long DUP were more likely to require hospitalization at the time of first diagnosis (52% [11/21] v. 9% [2/22], χ(2) =9.55, p=0.002) and more likely to require re-hospitalization during the first two years of treatment (67% [14/21] v. 32% [7/22], χ(2) =5.22, p=0.022). Moreover, after four years of routine treatment, despite a similar severity of positive symptoms, patients who had had a long DUP prior to initiating treatment had significantly poorer social functioning than those who had had a short DUP (SDSS mean scores, 7.0 [5.2] v. 3.4 [4.9], t=2.20, p=0.035).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings show that despite having a similar level of psychotic symptoms - as measured by the BPRS - compared to patients with a short DUP, patients with schizophrenia who have a long DUP prior to initial treatment have poorer long-term social functioning. This confirms the clinical importance of the early recognition and treatment of individuals with chronic psychotic conditions.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Pudong Mental Health Center, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Hongyun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Pudong Mental Health Center, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Pudong Mental Health Center, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Zhenping
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Pudong Mental Health Center, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Haiying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Min
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Pudong Mental Health Center, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Caiying
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Pudong Mental Health Center, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Fuzhen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Pudong Mental Health Center, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Weizhong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Pudong Mental Health Center, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
keywords: China; antipsychotics; follow-up studies; schizophrenia; treatment
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