Hong Kong Med J 2012;18(Suppl 6):S7-13
Three-year outcome of phase-specific early intervention for first-episode psychosis: a cohort study in Hong Kong
EYH Chen, JYM Tang, CLM Hui, SKW Chan, WC Chang, EHM Lee, CPY Chiu, MML Lam, CW Law, CWS Yew, GHY Wong, DWS Chung, S Tso, KPM Chan, KC Yip, SF Hung, WG Honer
Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong
1. The 3-year outcome of 700 first-episode psychosis patients who received phase-specific early intervention were compared with that of 700 matched historical controls who received standard psychiatric care.
2. Patients in the early intervention group had longer full-time employment or study (P<0.001), fewer days of hospitalisation (P<0.001), less severe positive symptom (P=0.006), less severe negative symptom (P=0.001), fewer suicides (P=0.009) and fewer disengagements (P=0.002) than the historical control group. In addition, more patients in the early intervention group experienced a period of recovery (P=0.001), but the two groups had similar rates of relapse (P=0.08) and durations of untreated psychosis (P=0.72).
3. The 3-year outcome in phase-specific early intervention compared favourably with that of standard psychiatric care, particularly with respect to functional outcome and reduction in hospitalisations, suicides, and disengagements. However, intervention did not appear to reduce the rate of relapse.
2. Patients in the early intervention group had longer full-time employment or study (P<0.001), fewer days of hospitalisation (P<0.001), less severe positive symptom (P=0.006), less severe negative symptom (P=0.001), fewer suicides (P=0.009) and fewer disengagements (P=0.002) than the historical control group. In addition, more patients in the early intervention group experienced a period of recovery (P=0.001), but the two groups had similar rates of relapse (P=0.08) and durations of untreated psychosis (P=0.72).
3. The 3-year outcome in phase-specific early intervention compared favourably with that of standard psychiatric care, particularly with respect to functional outcome and reduction in hospitalisations, suicides, and disengagements. However, intervention did not appear to reduce the rate of relapse.