Improving 1-year outcome in first-episode psychosis

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Abstract
Background: Because early illness course and outcome may affect the long-term outcome of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, it is especially important to address poor outcome in this early critical period.Aims: To evaluate whether integrated treatment compared with standard treatment reduced the proportion of patients with poor clinical and social outcome after 1 year.Method: A total of 547 patients with first-episode psychosis were included in the study, 275 randomly assigned to integrated treatment and 272 to standard treatment. Measures assessed psychotic symptoms and social functioning.Results: There was a significant beneficial effect of integrated treatment v. standard treatment on ‘any poor outcome’. Integrated treatment had a significantly better effect on ‘any poor outcome’ in patients with schizophrenia compared with patients in standard treatment.Conclusions: The integrated treatment significantly reduced the proportion of patients with poor clinical and social outcome compared with standard treatment.