title: The efficacy of targeted health agents education to reduce the duration of untreated psychosis in a rural population.
abstract: The duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) is a key determinant in the severity of symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. DUP is a modifiable factor that if reduced can improve patient outcome and treatment response. We sought to decrease DUP in rural Argentina by instituting annual training of local health agents to better identify signs of mental illness and offer earlier intervention. DUP was estimated using Schedules of Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN). Ongoing training was correlated with a reduction in DUP. Reducing DUP through better screening can decrease the psychosocial burden of disease and improve the trajectory of psychosis.
authors.affiliation: Fundación de Lucha contra los Trastornos Neurológicos y Psiquiátricos en Minorías (FULTRA), Argentina; Hospital Neuropsiquiátrico Néstor Sequeiros, Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Jujuy, Argentina.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Padilla
authors.affiliation: Hospital Neuropsiquiátrico Néstor Sequeiros, Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Jujuy, Argentina.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Molina
authors.affiliation: Hospital Neuropsiquiátrico Néstor Sequeiros, Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Jujuy, Argentina.
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kamis
authors.affiliation: Fundación de Lucha contra los Trastornos Neurológicos y Psiquiátricos en Minorías (FULTRA), Argentina; Hospital Neuropsiquiátrico Néstor Sequeiros, Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Jujuy, Argentina.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calvo
authors.affiliation: Hospital Neuropsiquiátrico Néstor Sequeiros, Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Jujuy, Argentina.
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stratton
authors.affiliation: Fundación de Lucha contra los Trastornos Neurológicos y Psiquiátricos en Minorías (FULTRA), Argentina.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Strejilevich
authors.affiliation: Fundación de Lucha contra los Trastornos Neurológicos y Psiquiátricos en Minorías (FULTRA), Argentina.
authors.forename: Gabriela Gonzalez
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Aleman
authors.affiliation: Fundación de Lucha contra los Trastornos Neurológicos y Psiquiátricos en Minorías (FULTRA), Argentina; Hospital Neuropsiquiátrico Néstor Sequeiros, Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Jujuy, Argentina.
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guerrero
authors.affiliation: Fundación de Lucha contra los Trastornos Neurológicos y Psiquiátricos en Minorías (FULTRA), Argentina; Hospital Neuropsiquiátrico Néstor Sequeiros, Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Jujuy, Argentina.
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bourdieu
authors.affiliation: Fundación de Lucha contra los Trastornos Neurológicos y Psiquiátricos en Minorías (FULTRA), Argentina.
authors.forename: Horacio A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Conesa
authors.affiliation: Roskamp Laboratory for Brain Development, Modulation and Repair, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA; Rutgers University School of Medicine, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Javier I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Escobar
authors.affiliation: Fundación de Lucha contra los Trastornos Neurológicos y Psiquiátricos en Minorías (FULTRA), Argentina; Hospital Neuropsiquiátrico Néstor Sequeiros, Ministerio de Salud, Provincia de Jujuy, Argentina. Electronic address: gdeeraus@health.usf.edu.
authors.forename: Gabriel A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: de Erausquin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001118:Argentina; D003150:Community Health Workers / Q000193:education*; D061345:Early Medical Intervention; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012424:Rural Population; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Duration of untreated psychosis; Primary care intervention; Schedules of Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry; Schizophrenia