V. Lehtinen et al., INTEGRATED TREATMENT MODEL FOR FIRST-CONTACT PATIENTS WITH A SCHIZOPHRENIA-TYPE PSYCHOSIS - THE FINNISH API PROJECT, Nordic journal of psychiatry, 50(4), 1996, pp. 281-287
This paper presents the background, rationale, set-up and first result
s of the Finnish API study, whose aim was to investigate the use of a
psychotherapeutically oriented and family-centred treatment model for
acute psychosis in different treatment settings, and especially the ro
le of neuroleptic drug treatment when working along the principles of
the integrated treatment model. Six psychiatric catchment areas from d
ifferent parts of the country participated by collecting a material of
136 first-contact patients with a schizophrenia-type psychosis. More
than half of the patients received a formal diagnosis from the schizop
hrenia group at the initial examination, and more than one-third a dia
gnosis of reactive or atypical psychosis. In the treatment plans for t
he patients, the psychosocial modes of treatment dominated, especially
the family therapeutic methods. Neuroleptic drug treatment was recomm
ended for only 40% of the patients, and for one-fourth no psychotropic
drugs at all.