Duration of untreated psychosis and 12-month outcome in first-episode psychosis: the impact of treatment approach

Objective: Early intervention research is examining whether reducing the du ration of untreated psychosis (DUP) leads to improved outcome from first-ep isode psychosis. Another key influence may be the quality of treatment afte r initiation of care. This study examined the effect of phase-specific trea tment on 12-month outcome for different categories of DUP. Method: A total of 250 first-episode psychosis cases were followed up 12 mo nths after stabilization. The sample consisted of two historically sequenti al cohorts treated in the same region within different service models, one of which was more intensive and phase-specific. Outcome was compared accord ing to four predefined categories of DUP. Results: Only patients with a mid-range DUP of 1-6 months who were treated within the phase-specific model experienced significantly better outcomes t han patients treated within the previous model. Conclusion: These data suggest that there may be a limited window of opport unity in which to influence outcome. However, the complexity of this relati onship is emphasized.