Duration of untreated psychosis in an Egyptian sample: Sociodemographic and clinical variables.
BACKGROUND
Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) has been considered as a poor prognostic factor for psychotic disorder. Several studies have been investigating different predictors of DUP in Western countries, while in Egypt only a few studies have examined various predictors of DUP.


OBJECTIVE
To study DUP in Egyptian patients with psychotic disorders and to investigate how certain illnesses, patient, socio-cultural risk factors and help-seeking behaviour are correlated with prolonged DUP.


METHODS
The sample included 100 patients with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.; DSM-IV-TR) diagnosis of psychotic disorder were selected and interviewed to assess DUP. They were interviewed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV axis I disorders (SCID-I), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale.


RESULTS
Mean (±standard deviation ( SD)) of DUP was found to be 36.93(±45.27) months. DUP was correlated with various sociodemographic and clinical variables. Following log transformation of DUP, correlation with PANSS scores was done and revealed highly significant statistical relation of DUP to PANSS negative and PANSS positive scores. In linear regression analysis, it was found that age of patients, the age of onset, residence, being illiterate, the insidious mode of onset, negative family history of psychiatric disorder and the severity of illness as indicated by PANSS are among DUP predictors.


CONCLUSIONS
Longer DUP results from multiple patient- and illness-related factors. This has many implications in targeting early intervention with specific consideration to cultural factors.
WHO Collaborating Centre for Mental Health Research and Training, Institute of Psychiatry, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
Tarek
T
Okasha
WHO Collaborating Centre for Mental Health Research and Training, Institute of Psychiatry, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
Nivert
N
Zaki
WHO Collaborating Centre for Mental Health Research and Training, Institute of Psychiatry, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
Marwa Abd El
MAE
Meguid
WHO Collaborating Centre for Mental Health Research and Training, Institute of Psychiatry, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
Marwa
M
El-Missiry
WHO Collaborating Centre for Mental Health Research and Training, Institute of Psychiatry, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
Walaa
W
Sabry
WHO Collaborating Centre for Mental Health Research and Training, Institute of Psychiatry, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
Mostafa Kamel
MK
Ismaeil
WHO Collaborating Centre for Mental Health Research and Training, Institute of Psychiatry, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
Samar M
SM
Fouad
Duration of untreated psychosis; predicting factors; psychotic disorder; schizophrenia; traditional healer