New data supports early intervention for psychosis services

New data supports early intervention for psychosis services

5 June 2015

New data supports early intervention for psychosis services

Two recent publications from the United States and Hong Kong have provided further data in support of early intervention for psychosis services.

Vinod H. Srihari et al. from the Yale School of Medicine compared the comprehensive Specialized Treatment Early in Psychosis (STEP) service in a U.S. community mental health centre with standard treatment and found evidence for both the feasibility and effectiveness of a U.S. public-sector model of early intervention for psychotic illness. Their results found that: 'STEP care reduced hospital utilization and improved vocational functioning within the first year of enrollment. Almost nine of every ten patients entered the study from an acute care setting; however, more than three-quarters of STEP patients avoided hospitalization over the first year of treatment, compared with a little over half of those allocated to usual treatment.'

Wing Chung Chang et al. from the University of Hong Kong examined the effect of extending care in a specialised early intervention for psychosis service by one year and concluded that an extended period of care led to better outcomes in functioning, negative symptoms, depressive symptoms and lower treatment default rates when compared with step-down psychiatric care. Their findings suggest that the continuation of specialised care can maintain the improved outcomes that early intervention services offer over the first two years of treatment.

This new data and a significant volume of like research being conducted around the world is providing continuing evidence that the kind of early intervention for psychosis services pioneered at Orygen in Melbourne are capable of producing better outcomes for clients when compared with traditional services.