Early intervention in psychosis: a new evidence based paradigm.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Even in countries whose mental health services are comparatively well resourced, the care offered to those in the early stages of psychotic illnesses is not what it could be. Patients often have to progress to chronicity before receiving adequate interventions, by which stage there has been great potential for harm, not only through the psychosis, but also to the quality of life of the individual who has often missed or not completed adequately, several important developmental tasks. Further, evidence indicates that delay in treatment is positively associated with poorer outcome. This paper puts the case for early intervention in psychosis. METHOD: Based on the experience of the E..