Early Psychosis Programs Substantially Reduce Mortality
Patients with first-episode psychosis who participated in an early intervention program had mortality rates 4 times lower than patients who did not take part in such a program, according to a study published online in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
For the study, researchers analyzed health administrative data for patients treated at the Prevention and Early Intervention Program for Psychoses at London Health Sciences Center in Ontario, Canada, the first early psychosis intervention program in North America. The study compared outcomes for patients with first-episode psychosis treated through the program within 2 years of admission with outcomes for patients who received services elsewhere.
In addition to substantially reduced mortality, patients in the early psychosis intervention program had their first appointment with a psychiatrist much sooner (13 days vs 78 days), and their psychiatrist visit rates were 33.2% higher than the rates of patients not in the intervention program. Emergency department visits were 8.7% lower among patients in the program, and involuntary hospitalizations were fewer.
“The aim of our study was to examine the ‘real-world’ effectiveness of early psychosis intervention programs in the context of the Ontario health care system,” said lead researcher Kelly K. Anderson, PhD, a scientist at Lawson Health Research Institute in London, Ontario. “Our results indicate a number of beneficial outcomes associated with early psychosis intervention programs. Most importantly, the risk of mortality is significantly reduced.”
However, the study also found that patients in the early psychosis intervention program had lower rates of primary care visits and higher overall hospitalization rates. Researchers recommended more collaboration with primary care providers as well as additional research into the higher hospitalization rates.
“Hospitalizations are often a necessary therapeutic intervention for patients with psychotic illness,” said coauthor Paul Kurdyak, MD, PhD, a scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Toronto, Ontario. “While our study suggests that overall hospitalization rates are higher among early psychosis intervention users, it also suggests involuntary hospitalization rates are lower. It may be that early psychosis intervention users have better access to in-patient care and are more willing to seek care when needed.”
—Jolynn Tumolo
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