title: Longer Duration of Untreated Psychosis Hinders Improvement in Treatment of Chronic Schizophrenia: Community Based Early Intervention is an Evidence Based Option.
abstract: To determine the effects of community-based mental health services on the quality of life and disease symptoms of chronic schizophrenia patients and to determine the effects of duration of untreated psychosis on outcome. The first year records of schizophrenia patients who had been followed up at Zeytinburnu CMHC for at least 12 months, have been used to asses outcome using initial and 12th month quality of life (QoL), positive and negative symptom scale (PANSS) scores. Highly significant improvements were shown in the QoL and PANSS scores. There were significant differences between the two study groups (duration of untreated psychosis >2 years, versus duration of untreated psychosis <2 years) in terms of improvements in QoL and PANSS scores. Formation of early intervention teams that seek to provide preventive activities (i.e. for schizophrenia) in countries that have changed to community based mental health systems is a sound mental health implementation.
authors.affiliation: Bakirkoy Research & Training Hospital for Psychiatry, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Zuhuratbaba M.Karabal C. No.20 D.6 Bakırkoy, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Abdülkadir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tabo
authors.affiliation: Bakirkoy Research & Training Hospital for Psychiatry, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Zuhuratbaba M.Karabal C. No.20 D.6 Bakırkoy, Istanbul, Turkey. aydinerk@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Erkan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aydın
authors.affiliation: Bakirkoy Research & Training Hospital for Psychiatry, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Zuhuratbaba M.Karabal C. No.20 D.6 Bakırkoy, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hüseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yumrukçal
authors.affiliation: , Çırpıcı Mah. Prof. Dr.Turan Güneş Cad.No: 159/1-A, Zeytinburnu, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sadık
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yiğit
authors.affiliation: Bakirkoy Research & Training Hospital for Psychiatry, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Zuhuratbaba M.Karabal C. No.20 D.6 Bakırkoy, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Uğraş Erman
authors.initials: UE
authors.lastname: Uzun
authors.affiliation: Uskudar University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Oğuz
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Karamustafalıoğlu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D057210:Delayed Diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013997:Time Factors; D061665:Time-to-Treatment
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents
keywords: Community based mental health; Duration untreated psychosis; Early intervention