The differential impact of duration of untreated psychosis on functioning and quality of life: A threshold analysis

Reduction of DUP in early intervention programmes: No pain… almost no gain

AIM

Considering the negative impact of long duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) on outcome, its reduction has become one of the aims of early intervention programmes. The TIPP programme (Treatment and early Intervention in Psychosis Program) was implemented in 2004 in Lausanne and hoped to reduce DUP, without any specific campaign in this regard, through the provision of accessible and specialized treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the evolution of patients' DUP over time and the characteristics of patients with extreme DUP.

METHODS

Clinical follow-up data of 380 patients aged 18-35 years with a first psychotic episode who entered the TIPP programme between 2004 and 2017 were analysed. The evolution of DUP over time as well as referring entities and destination after the programme were assessed. The characteristics of patients with extreme DUPs (>percentile 90) were compared with that of other patients.

RESULTS

The mean value of the DUP was 452.11 days with a median of 88 days. DUP decreased only moderately over time. We also observe a decrease in discharges to specialized outpatient care at our university hospital. The main characteristics of patients with extreme DUP were early age of onset of psychosis, diagnosis of schizophrenia and presence of history of psychiatric treatment for other conditions before onset of psychosis.

CONCLUSIONS

These figures suggest that the DUP has reduced over time but that without specific interventions at this level, this reduction is only moderate.

Role of Early Psychosis Detection in the Relationship Between Personal Income and Duration of Untreated Psychosis

OBJECTIVE

Prolonged duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) predicts poor outcomes of first-episode psychosis (FEP) and is often linked to low socioeconomic status (SES). The authors sought to determine whether patients' personal income, used as a proxy for SES, predicts length of DUP and whether personal income influences the effect of an early psychosis detection campaign-called Mindmap-on DUP reduction.

METHODS

Data were drawn from a trial that compared the effectiveness of early detection in reducing DUP across the catchment area of an FEP service (N=147 participants) compared with an FEP service with no early detection (N=75 participants). Hierarchical regression was used to determine whether personal income predicted DUP when analyses controlled for effects of age, race, and exposure to early psychosis detection. A group × personal income interaction term was used to assess whether the DUP difference between the early detection and control groups differed by personal income.

RESULTS

Lower personal income was significantly associated with younger age, fewer years of education, Black race, and longer DUP. Personal income predicted DUP beyond the effects of age, race, and early psychosis detection. Although Mindmap significantly reduced DUP across all income levels, this effect was smaller for participants reporting lower personal income.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients' personal income may be an important indicator of disparity in access to specialty care clinics across a wide range of settings. Early detection efforts should measure and target personal income and other SES indicators to improve access for all individuals who may benefit from FEP services.