Depression Schizophrenia 19 Mar, 2020 Read Time: 2 mins

Early intervention services have the potential to improve the success of treatment and social functioning for individuals with schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a heterogenous, progressive and recurrent disease with multiple dimensions which can impact the overall course of the disease as well as response to treatment.  

Schizophrenia is characterized by multiple relapses, and following a relapse patients may not return to their previous level of function which can affect both the short and long-term prognosis for patients living with the disease.

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The specific benefits of early intervention are well-documented, both for the patient and broader society. These include:

  • Higher recovery rate at 1/3 of the cost of standard public mental health services1-2
  • Financial savings - of approximately €25,000 over a five-year period3
  • Improved treatment success rate - including hospital bed days4 and decreased relapse rates5
  • Improvement in social functioning6-7 and in the quality of life of people living with schizophrenia and their carers5
  • Improvement in employment for people with schizophrenia - in some cases employment participation has been continuous for more than ten years8
  • Decrease of premature mortality rates9
Canada - Intervention précoce pour les services de psychose (1.02 MB)
Canada - Early intervention for psychosis services (916.38 KB)
France - Intervention précoce pour les services prenant en charge les troubles psychotiques (667.14 KB)
Italy - Intervento precoce dei servizi per la psicosi (817.69 KB)
Spain - Servicios de intervención temprana en psicosis (756.78 KB)
World - Early intervention for psychosis services (798.69 KB)
LSE Early interventions - Growth in the use of early intervention for psychosis services (929.33 KB)

References

  1. ICF and Cambridge Economics. Study on the costs and benefits of possible EU measures to facilitate work-life balance for parents and care givers. Brussels: European Commission. 2017. Available: file:///C:/Users/anna.reilly/Downloads/Final%20report%20CBA%20WLB%20measures_20042017.pdf. Last accessed February 2018.
  2. Winkler P, et al. Long-term hospitalizations for schizophrenia in the Czech Republic 1998–2012. Schizophrenia Res 2016;175;180–185.
  3. McDaid D, et al. Growth in the use of early intervention for psychosis services: An opportunity to promote recovery amid concerns on health care sustainability. 2016. Available at: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/65630/1/__lse.ac.uk_storage_LIBRARY_Secondary_libfile_shared_repository_Content_PSSRU_Growth%20in%20the%20use%20of%20early%20intervention_2016.pdf [Date accessed: June 2018]
  4.  Andrew A, et al. Effective Interventions in schizophrenia: the economic case. Personal Social Services Research Unit, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, 2012. http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/47406/7/__libfile_repository_Content_Knapp,%20M_Effective%20Interventions%20in%20schizophrenia%20the%20economic%20case_Effective%20Interventions%20in%20schizophrenia%20(LSERO).pdf [Accessed: May 2018]
  5. Craig TKJ, et al. The Lambeth Early Onset (LEO) Team: Randomised controlled trial of the effectiveness of specialised care for early psychosis. BMJ 329(7474):1067. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.38246.594873.7C
  6. Hasan A, et al. World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) guidelines for biological treatment of schizophrenia, part 2: update 2012 on the long-term treatment of schizophrenia and management of antipsychotic-induced side effects. World J Biol Psychiatry 2013;14(1):2‒44
  7. Dieterich M, et al. Intensive case management for severe mental illness. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2010;10:CD007906. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858. CD007906.pub2
  8. Ten Velden HW, et al. Early detection, early symptom progression and symptomatic remission after ten years in a first episode of psychosis study. Schizophrenia Res 2013;143(2–3):337–343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2012.10.027
  9. European Brain Council. Early Intervention: Bridging the early diagnosis and treatment gap. 2017. Available at: http://www.braincouncil.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/EBC_white_policy_paper_DEF26072017_Low.pdf. [Date accessed: June 2018]