The effect of duration of untreated psychosis and treatment delay on the outcomes of prolonged early intervention in psychotic disorders.

THE EARLIER THE BETTER: The duration of untreated psychosis influences the long-term outcomes of treatment. Nikolai Albert, at the Copenhagen Mental Health Centre, and a team of Danish researchers have investigated the effects of a specialized early intervention program (OPUS) in 400 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and compared the effects of OPUS after two and five years. Their findings suggest that five years of specialized early intervention was most beneficial when the total duration from symptom start to treatment was shorter than 6 months. The treatment was particularly effective at improving patients' disorganized behavior and negative symptoms such as blunted emotions and lack of motivation. These findings support previous studies suggesting that patients are more responsive to treatment in the early years of illness and highlight the importance of avoiding delays within the mental health service provision.