Hospitalisation and length of hospital stay following first-episode psychosis: systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies

Risk and protective factors for recovery at 3-year follow-up after first-episode psychosis onset: a multivariate outcome approach

PURPOSE

Recovery in people with first-episode psychosis (FEP) remains a major issue. When risk factors are studied in relation to the disorder, potential protective factors should also be considered since they can modulate this relationship. This study is aimed at exploring which premorbid and baseline characteristics are associated with a good and poor global recovery in patients with FEP at 3-year follow-up.

METHODS

We categorized patients' outcome by using a Latent Class Analysis (LCA) considering a multimodal set of symptomatic and functional outcomes. A Mixed effects Models Repeated Measures analysis of variance (MMRM) was used to highlight group differences over time on symptomatic and functional outcomes assessed during the 3-year follow-up.

RESULTS

A total of 325 patients with FEP aged between 18 and 35 years were included. Two groups were identified. A total of 187 patients (57.5%) did not achieve recovery, and 138 patients (42.5%) achieved recovery. Recovered patients had generally a better premorbid and baseline profile in comparison with non-recovered patients (as among which shorter duration of untreated psychosis (DUP), higher degree of insight, better functional level and lower illness severity at baseline). The trajectories for the psychopathological and functional outcomes over 36 months differed between the non-recovered and the recovered group of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results pointed to some variables associated with recovery, acting as potential protective factors. These should be considered for early intervention programs to promote psychological resilience specifically in those with a worse prognosis in order to mitigate the effects of the variables that make them more vulnerable to poorer outcome.

Prevalence and predictors of admission at the time of presentation in first episode psychosis

BACKGROUND

Individuals presenting with first episode psychosis (FEP) constitute a population with high admission rates. Across psychiatric services, community based treatment is aimed for where appropriate. Therefore, further knowledge on predictors of admission is required.

PURPOSE

The objectives were to: (i) determine the proportion of individuals with FEP admitted at time of presentation (voluntarily and involuntarily) (ii) identify associated demographic and clinical factors.

METHODS

This study included all young people (aged 15-24) who presented with FEP to the Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre, Melbourne, Australia from 01.01.11 to 31.12.16. Binary logistic regression was used to determine unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios.

RESULTS

Of 1208 participants, 58.6% were male and the median age was 20 years (I.Q.R.17-22). At time of presentation, 50.2% were admitted. On multivariate analysis, the following factors predicted admission: being a migrant (OR = 1.75, 95% CI [1.17, 2.62]), aggression (OR = 1.42, 95% CI [1.02, 1.99]), and more severe psychotic symptoms. Longer duration of untreated psychosis was associated with lower admission rates. 70.1% of admissions were involuntary (33.7% of the cohort). Risk factors for involuntary admission were consistent with any admission, other than aggression, and with the addition of older age and male sex.

CONCLUSION

There remains a high admission rate for FEP, even in an established early intervention service, with severity of psychopathology being the strongest predictive factor. There is an independent association between migrancy and admission. Potential reasons for these findings are discussed, and initiatives to reduce admission rates including (i) interventions to prevent admission and (ii) alternative care pathways.

Clinical decision-making before discharge in hospitalized persons with schizophrenia: a Spanish Delphi expert consensus

Introduction

The care of people with schizophrenia (PWS) is usually provided in an outpatient setting by community mental health teams. However, PWS frequently require inpatient treatment because of a wide array of clinical, personal and/or social situations. Unfortunately, to our knowledge, there are no guidelines available to help psychiatrists in the decision-making process on hospital discharge for PWS. The aim of this project was to develop an expert consensus on discharge criteria for PWS after their stay in an acute inpatient psychiatric unit.

Methods

Using a modified Delphi method a group of 42 psychiatrists throughout Spain evaluated four areas of interest regarding this issue: clinical symptomatology, treatment-related factors, follow-up health care units after discharge, and physical health and monitoring.

Results

After two rounds, among the 64 statements, a consensus was reached for 59 (92.2%) statements. In three (17.7%) of the 17 statements on 'clinical symptomatology' and 2 (13.3%) of the 15 statements on 'follow-up health care units after discharge', a consensus was not reached; in contrast, a consensus was reached for all statements concerning 'treatment-related factors' and those concerning 'physical health and monitoring'. The consensus results highlight the importance for discharge of the control of symptoms rather than their suppression during admission and of tolerability in the selection of anantipsychotic.

Discussion

Although there is a lack of relevant data for guiding the discharge of PWS after hospitalization in an acute inpatient psychiatric unit, we expect that this consensus based on expert opinion may help clinicians to take appropriate decisions.

The clinical course of individuals with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome converting to psychotic disorders: a long-term retrospective follow-up

OBJECTIVES

This retrospective study aims to investigate the evolution and clinical course of psychotic disorders from three large international cohorts of individuals with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) (Tel Aviv, Philadelphia, and Geneva).

METHODS

We followed 118 individuals with 22q11.2DS from several years before the onset to several years after the onset of psychotic disorders. Data from structured baseline assessment of psychiatric disorders, symptoms of prodrome, indicators and types of psychotic disorders were collected. Additionally, cognitive evaluation was conducted using the age-appropriate Wechsler Intelligence Scale. Electronic medical records were reviewed for medication usage, occupational status, living situation, and psychiatric hospitalizations.

RESULTS

At baseline evaluation, the most common psychiatric disorders were anxiety disorder (80%) and attention/deficit hyperactivity disorder (50%). The age of onset of prodromal symptoms and conversion to psychotic disorders were 18.6 ± 6.8 and 20.3 ± 7.2, respectively. The most common prodromal symptoms were exacerbation of anxiety symptoms and social isolation. Of the psychotic disorders, schizophrenia was the most common, occurring in 49% of cases. History of at least one psychiatric hospitalization was present in 43% of participants, and the number of psychiatric hospitalizations was 2.1 ± 1.4. Compared to the normalized chart, IQ scores in our cohort were lower after vs. before conversion to psychosis. Following conversion there was a decrease in the use of stimulants and antidepressants and an increase in antipsychotics use, and most individuals with 22q11.2DS were unemployed and lived with their parents.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that 22q11.2DS psychosis is like non-22q11.2DS in its course, symptoms, and cognitive and functional impairments.

Effect of onset age on the long-term outcome of early-onset psychoses and other mental disorders: a register-based Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 study

Psychiatric illnesses can affect the social transitions of adolescence and young adulthood, such as completing education and entering working life and relationships. However, associations between earlier onset age and long-term outcomes among those with early-onset psychoses (EOP) are unclear, as are the long-term outcomes of EOP compared to non-psychotic disorders. We used national register data of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 to detect persons with EOP and other early-onset psychiatric disorders. The long-term clinical and work-family outcomes of persons with onset age before 18 years (n = 41 psychoses, n = 495 non-psychoses) or between 18-22 years (n = 61 psychoses, n = 377 non-psychoses) were compared. Individuals with the onset of psychosis between 18-22 years had significantly more unfavourable long-term outcomes when compared to those with psychosis onset before 18 years. Persons with psychosis onset before the age of 18 years had similar outcomes to those with non-psychotic psychiatric disorder onset before 18 years regarding educational level, marital status, having children, and substance use disorders. Individuals with EOP were more often on a disability pension compared to those with other early-onset mental disorders. Adjusting for sex, educational level and substance use only slightly diluted these results. Unexpectedly, later onset age of EOP was associated with worse outcomes. Those with psychosis onset between 18-22 years of age are in a critical period, which underlines the importance of investing on interventions in this age group. Further studies on the effect of the onset age on later outcomes in EOP are needed.

Referral pathways to early intervention services for psychosis and their influence on perceptions of care: An interpretive phenomenological analysis

AIM

Most young adults experiencing psychosis enter early intervention services (EIS) via inpatient and emergency departments. These experiences are suggested to negatively impact their views of treatment and engagement in EIS. However, limited research has examined the impact of young adults' prior help-seeking experiences on these outcomes. The present study aimed to explore how young adults engaged in EIS have experienced initial help-seeking and make sense of these experiences in the context of their current treatment.

METHODS

Using an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 young adults (mean age = 24.83) within their first 3-12 months of treatment in EIS. Interviews aimed to examine their experiences of help-seeking and referral to EIS as well as the impact of these experiences on their subsequent perception of, and engagement with EIS.

RESULTS

3 superordinate themes emerged: (1) Navigating the Maze of Healthcare (2) Dignity and (3) Impact of Help-Seeking and Referral Experiences. Participants with referral pathways involving urgent care services described more adversity during their referral pathway and tended to describe help-seeking experiences as contributing to negative views towards EIS and diminished engagement in treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The impact of early negative experiences with healthcare on views towards EIS and engagement is evident in participants' accounts. Sense making was further contextualized by participants' illness insight, degree of recovery, and social support throughout experiences. Emergent themes highlight the need for psychiatric services to emphasize service users' dignity and for EIS to provide opportunities for patients to process past negative mental healthcare experiences to strengthen engagement.

Genetic contribution to disease-course severity and progression in the SUPER-Finland study, a cohort of 10,403 individuals with psychotic disorders

Genetic factors contribute to the susceptibility of psychotic disorders, but less is known how they affect psychotic disease-course development. Utilizing polygenic scores (PGSs) in combination with longitudinal healthcare data with decades of follow-up we investigated the contributing genetics to psychotic disease-course severity and diagnostic shifts in the SUPER-Finland study, encompassing 10 403 genotyped individuals with a psychotic disorder. To longitudinally track the study participants' past disease-course severity, we created a psychiatric hospitalization burden metric using the full-coverage and nation-wide Finnish in-hospital registry (data from 1969 and onwards). Using a hierarchical model, ranking the psychotic diagnoses according to clinical severity, we show that high schizophrenia PGS (SZ-PGS) was associated with progression from lower ranked psychotic disorders to schizophrenia (OR = 1.32 [1.23-1.43], p = 1.26e-12). This development manifested already at psychotic illness onset as a higher psychiatric hospitalization burden, the proxy for disease-course severity. In schizophrenia (n = 5 479), both a high SZ-PGS and a low educational attainment PGS (EA-PGS) were associated with increased psychiatric hospitalization burden (p = 1.00e-04 and p = 4.53e-10). The SZ-PGS and the EA-PGS associated with distinct patterns of hospital usage. In individuals with high SZ-PGS, the increased hospitalization burden was composed of longer individual hospital stays, while low EA-PGS associated with shorter but more frequent hospital visits. The negative effect of a low EA-PGS was found to be partly mediated via substance use disorder, a major risk factor for hospitalizations. In conclusion, we show that high SZ-PGS and low EA-PGS both impacted psychotic disease-course development negatively but resulted in different disease-course trajectories.

Patients with first-episode psychosis in northern Taiwan: neurocognitive performance and niacin response profile in comparison with schizophrenia patients of different familial loadings and relationship with clinical features

BACKGROUND

Examining patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) provides opportunities to better understand the mechanism underlying these illnesses. By incorporating quantitative measures in FEP patients, we aimed to (1) determine the baseline distribution of clinical features; (2) examine the impairment magnitude of the quantitative measures by comparing with external controls and then the counterparts of schizophrenia patients of different familial loadings; and (3) evaluate whether these quantitative measures were associated with the baseline clinical features.

METHODS

Patients with FEP were recruited from one medical center, two regional psychiatric centers, and two private clinics in northern Taiwan with clinical features rated using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Personal and Social Performance (PSP) scale. Quantitative measurements included the Continuous Performance Test (CPT), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), niacin response abnormality (NRA), and minor physical anomalies and craniofacial features (MPAs). To evaluate the relative performance of the quantitative measures in our FEP patients, four external comparison groups from previous studies were used, including three independent healthy controls for the CPT, WCST, and NRA, respectively, and one group of treatment-resistant schizophrenia patients for the MPAs. Additionally, patients from simplex families and patients from multiplex families were used to assess the magnitude of FEP patients' impairment on the CPT, WCST, and NRA.

RESULTS

Among the 80 patients with FEP recruited in this study (58% female, mean age = 25.6 years, mean duration of untreated psychosis = 132 days), the clinical severity was mild to moderate (mean PANSS score = 67.3; mean PSP score = 61.8). Patients exhibited both neurocognitive and niacin response impairments (mean Z-scores: -1.24 for NRA, - 1.06 for undegraded d', - 0.70 for degraded d', - 0.32 for categories achieved, and 0.44 for perseverative errors) but did not show MPAs indicative of treatment resistance. Among these quantitative measures, three of the four neurocognitive indices were correlated with the baseline clinical features, whereas NRA did not show such correlation.

CONCLUSIONS

This FEP study of Taiwanese patients revealed the presence of neurocognitive performance and niacin response and their different relationships with clinical features, rendering this sample useful for future follow-up and incorporation of multiomics investigation.

A multivariate cognitive approach to predict social functioning in recent onset psychosis in response to computerized cognitive training

Clinical and neuroimaging data has been increasingly used in recent years to disentangle heterogeneity of treatment response to cognitive training (CT) and predict which individuals may achieve the highest benefits. CT has small to medium effects on improving cognitive and social functioning in recent onset psychosis (ROP) patients, who show the most profound cognitive and social functioning deficits among psychiatric patients. We employed multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) to investigate the potential of cognitive data to predict social functioning improvement in response to 10 h of CT in patients with ROP. A support vector machine (SVM) classifier was trained on the naturalistic data of the Personalized Prognostic Tools for Early Psychosis Management (PRONIA) study sample to predict functioning in an independent sample of 70 ROP patients using baseline cognitive data. PRONIA is a part of a FP7 EU grant program that involved 7 sites across 5 European countries, designed and conducted with the main aim of identifying (bio)markers associated with an enhanced risk of developing psychosis in order to improve early detection and prognosis. Social functioning was predicted with a balanced accuracy (BAC) of 66.4% (Sensitivity 78.8%; Specificity 54.1%; PPV 60.5%; NPV 74.1%; AUC 0.64; P = 0.01). The most frequently selected cognitive features (mean feature weights > ± 0.2) included the (1) correct number of symbol matchings within the Digit Symbol Substitution Test, (2) the number of distracting stimuli leading to an error within 300 and 200 trials in the Continuous Performance Test and (3) the dynamics of verbal fluency between 15 and 30 s within the Verbal Fluency Test, phonetic part. Next, the SVM classifier generated on the PRONIA sample was applied to the intervention sample, that obtained 54 ROP patients who were randomly assigned to a social cognitive training (SCT) or treatment as usual (TAU) group and dichotomized into good (GF-S ≥ 7) and poor (GF-S < 7) functioning patients based on their level of Global Functioning-Social (GF-S) score at follow-up (FU). By applying the initial PRONIA classifier, using out-of-sample cross-validation (OOCV) to the sample of ROP patients who have undergone the CT intervention, a BAC of 59.3% (Sensitivity 70.4%; Specificity 48.1%; PPV 57.6%; NPV 61.9%; AUC 0.63) was achieved at T0 and a BAC of 64.8% (Sensitivity 66.7%; Specificity 63.0%; PPV 64.3%; NPV 65.4%; AUC 0.66) at FU. After SCT intervention, a significant improvement in predicted social functioning values was observed in the SCT compared to TAU group (P ≤0.05; ES[Cohens' d] = 0.18). Due to a small sample size and modest variance of social functioning of the intervention sample it was not feasible to predict individual response to SCT in the current study. Our findings suggest that the use of baseline cognitive data could provide a robust individual estimate of future social functioning, while prediction of individual response to SCT using cognitive data that can be generated in the routine patient care remains to be addressed in large-scale cognitive training trials.

Comparison of Hospitalization for Nonaffective Psychotic Disorders Among Refugee, Migrant, and Native-Born Adults in Sweden and Denmark

Importance

Determining whether migrants with nonaffective psychotic disorders (NAPDs) experience poorer outcomes after illness onset is essential to ensure adequate health care provision to these disadvantaged populations.

Objective

To compare cumulative hospital days for NAPDs during the first 5 years of illness among refugee, nonrefugee, and second-generation migrants and their Swedish and Danish peers.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This was a prospective cohort study of individuals treated for incident NAPDs in inpatient or outpatient settings between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2013, and followed up for 5 years. This population-based study used Swedish and Danish national registries. Included participants were individuals in Sweden and Denmark, aged 18 to 35 years, treated for incident NAPDs. Data analyses were conducted from November 2022 to August 2023.

Exposures

Population group (determined according to residency in either country, not both countries), categorized as refugee (migrants whose residence in Sweden or Denmark was registered as refugee status or family reunification with a refugee), nonrefugee (all other individuals born outside Sweden and Denmark), second generation (individuals born in Sweden or Denmark with at least 1 parent born abroad), or native born (individuals born in Sweden or Denmark with both parents born in these countries).

Main Outcome and Measures

Total hospital days for NAPDs during the first 5 years of illness, analyzed using a hurdle model. Among those ever admitted, total number of admissions and mean admission length were examined.

Results

In total, 7733 individuals in Sweden (mean [SD] age, 26.0 [5.1] years; 4919 male [63.6%]) and 8747 in Denmark (mean [SD] age 24.8 [5.0] years; 5324 male [60.9%]) were followed up for 5 years or until death or emigration. After adjusting for a range of sociodemographic and clinical factors, the odds of experiencing any hospital days for NAPD were significantly higher among migrant groups compared with their native-born peers (Sweden: second generation, odds ratio [OR], 1.17; 95% CI, 1.03-1.33; P = .01; nonrefugee migrant, OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.21-1.73; P < .001; refugee, OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.06-1.47; P = .009; Denmark: second generation, OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.05-1.40; P = .01; nonrefugee migrant, OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.14-1.55; P < .001). These odds were highest among nonrefugee (Sweden: OR, 2.53; 95% CI, 1.59-4.03; P < .001; Denmark: OR, 2.61; 95% CI, 1.70-4.01; P < .001) and refugee (Sweden: OR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.43-2.69; P < .001; Denmark: OR, 2.14; 95% CI, 1.42-3.21; P < .001) migrants from Africa and those who had arrived within 3 to 5 years (Sweden: nonrefugee migrants, OR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.26-2.95; P = .002; refugees, OR, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.46-3.88; P < .001; Denmark: nonrefugee migrants, OR, 1.66; 95% CI, 0.96-2.85; P = .07; refugees, OR, 3.40; 95% CI, 1.13-10.17; P = .03). Among those ever hospitalized, refugees in both countries (Sweden, incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.30; 95% CI, 1.12-1.51; P < .001; Denmark, IRR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.24-1.75; P < .001) and second-generation migrants in Denmark (IRR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.07-1.39; P = .003) experienced more days hospitalized for NAPDs than native-born individuals.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this prospective cohort study of individuals with NAPDs, results suggest that refugee, nonrefugee, and second-generation migrants experience more days hospitalized for these disorders than their native-born peers. Patterns were consistent across 2 countries with different models of psychosis care and immigration and integration policies.

The Patient Journey of Schizophrenia in Mental Health Services: Results from a Co-Designed Survey by Clinicians, Expert Patients and Caregivers

BACKGROUND

The Patient Journey Project aims to collect real-world experiences on schizophrenia management in clinical practice throughout all the phases of the disorder, highlighting virtuous paths, challenges and unmet needs.

METHODS

A 60-item survey was co-designed with all the stakeholders (clinicians, expert patients and caregivers) involved in the patient's journey, focusing on three areas: early detection and management, acute phase management and long-term management/continuity of care. For each statement, the respondents expressed their consensus on the importance and the degree of implementation in clinical practice. The respondents included heads of the Mental Health Services (MHSs) in the Lombardy region, Italy.

RESULTS

For early diagnosis and management, a strong consensus was found; however, the implementation degree was moderate-to-good. For acute phase management, a strong consensus and a good level of implementation were found. For long-term management/continuity of care, a strong consensus was found, but the implementation level was slightly above the cut-off, with 44.4% of the statements being rated as only moderately implemented. Overall, the survey showed a strong consensus and a good level of implementation.

CONCLUSIONS

The survey offered an updated evaluation of the priority intervention areas for MHSs and highlighted the current limitations. Particularly, early phases and chronicity management should be further implemented to improve the patient journey of schizophrenia patients.

Diagnostic Stability in Psychiatric Patients From Hospital Admission to Discharge: A 10-Year Retrospective Study

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the consistency or stability of mental disorders diagnosed in the psychiatry ward setting, investigate factors associated with consistency, and observe the disease distribution over the decade.

METHODS

A total of 20,359 psychiatric inpatients were included in this retrospective study from June 2011 to December 2020. Diagnoses from the first admission to discharge were evaluated to determine the diagnostic consistency during hospitalization. Readmissions were selected as the subgroup, whose first and last discharge diagnoses were compared to analyze the relatively long-term diagnostic stability. Demographic and clinical characteristics were collected to identify predictors of diagnostic discrepancy.

RESULTS

From 2011-2020, the hospitalization rate decreased from 42.7% to 20.7% for schizophrenia and grew from 13.3% to 23.8% for depression. Diagnoses were retained by 92.6% of patients at their first discharge diagnosis, ranging from 100% for disorders of psychological development to 16.3% for unspecified mental disorders. About 33.9% of diagnostic conversions were to bipolar disorder in patients having inconsistent diagnoses. However, among rehospitalizations, the diagnostic stability notably dropped to 71.3%. For rehospitalizations, mood disorders and schizophrenia spectrum disorders were relatively stable diagnoses categories, with 72.6% to 76.7% of patients receiving the same diagnosis, although results of specified diagnoses within these categories ranged from 5.9% to 91.0%. Except for mood disorders and schizophrenia spectrum disorders, the diagnoses of all other categories were below 70%. Long lengths of hospitalization and old age were associated with short-term diagnosis alterations.

CONCLUSION

Longitudinal follow-up and integration of multiple aspects of information are essential for accurate diagnosis.

Increasing person-centeredness in psychosis inpatient care: care consumption before and after a person-centered care intervention

BACKGROUND

Patients with psychotic disorders often need hospitalization with long stays. Person-centered care (PCC) has been shown to improve care quality and decrease the length of hospital stay in non-psychiatric settings. We carried out an educational intervention for inpatient staff, aiming to increase person-centeredness at a major Swedish psychosis clinic. The aim of this study was to test if the intervention could be associated with decreased length of hospital stay (LoS), involuntary stay (LoIS), and reduction in rapid readmissions.

METHODS

Data from the clinic's administrative registry were compared for patients with a discharge diagnosis within the schizophrenia-spectrum treated during the one-year periods before and after the PCC intervention.

RESULTS

Contrary to our hypotheses, a quantile regression estimated longer LoS post-intervention, median difference 10.4 d (CI 4.73-16.10). Neither age, sex nor diagnostic category were associated with LoS. Of all inpatient days, ∼80% were involuntary. While LoIS was numerically longer post-intervention, the difference did not reach significance in the final regression model (median difference 7.95 d, CI -1.40 to 17.31). Proportions with readmission within 2 weeks of discharge did not differ (7.7% vs 5.2%, n.s.).

CONCLUSIONS

Increased length of inpatient care was observed after the PCPC intervention. This could reflect an increased focus on the unmet needs of persons with serious psychotic conditions, but it needs to be explored in future research using a more rigorous study design.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This study is part of a larger evaluation of Person-Centered Psychosis Care (PCPC), registered during data collection (after the study start, before analysis) at clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT03182283.

The prognosis of schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis with meta-regression of 20-year follow-up studies

OBJECTIVE

The aim was to examine the general outcome of schizophrenia after 20 years or more.

METHODS

Using the PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis with meta-regression on long-term follow-up studies of schizophrenia up until April 21, 2021. We included prospective studies with at least 20 years of follow-up on patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, and the studies had to include face-to-face clinical evaluation. We examined outcome in three nested groups: 'recovery', 'good or better' (including also 'recovery'), and 'moderate or better' (including also 'recovery' and 'good or better'). We used random-effects meta-analysis and meta-regression to examine mean estimates and possible moderators.

RESULTS

We identified 1089 records, which were screened by two independent researchers. 14 prospective studies (1991 patients) published between 1978 and 2020 were found eligible. The studies used a range of different scales and definitions for outcome, and some used the same definitions for different outcomes. To compare outcome across studies, we designed and applied a unified template for outcome definitions and cutoffs, based on earlier studies' recommendations. Our meta-analysis found that 24.2 % had 'recovered' (n = 246, CI: 20.3-28.0 %), 35.5 % had a 'good or better' outcome (n = 766, CI: 26.0-45.0%), and 59.7% had 'moderate or better' outcome (n = 1139, CI: 49.3-70.1 %).

CONCLUSIONS

The results contribute to debunk the myth that schizophrenia inevitably has a deteriorating course. Recovery is certainly possible. Schizophrenia remains, however, a severe and complex mental disorder, exhibiting a limited change in prognosis despite >100 years of research and efforts to improve treatment.

Patient communication ability as predictor of involuntary admission and coercive measures in psychiatric inpatient treatment

Coercive measures (CM) and involuntary admission to psychiatric treatment can have detrimental consequences for patients. Past research shows that certain clinical, treatment and admission-related characteristics put patients at a higher risk of experiencing CM and involuntary admission. Although of high societal importance, the association between patients' communication ability and CM and involuntary admission has not been subject of past research. To explicitly examine this association the authors conducted a retrospective study using data from patients admitted to psychiatric inpatient treatment via the emergency room at Charité St. Hedwig Hospital, Berlin in 2019. As independent variable, communication ability at admission was recorded (perfect; limited due to language or other reasons; impossible due to language or other reasons) along with possibly confounding variables including demographic, clinical and admission-related details. As dependent variables, involuntary admission and CM were recorded. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted examining the association between communication ability and involuntary admission and CM. In a sample of N = 1556, controlling for potential confounders, limited (OR = 3.08; p = .004) or no communication ability (OR = 4.02; p = .003) due to language barrier or limited (OR = 3.10; p < .001) or no communication ability (OR = 13.71; p < .001) due to other factors were significant predictors for involuntary admission. Limited communication ability due to language barrier (OR = 4.53; p < .001) and limited (OR = 1.58; p = .034) and no communication ability (OR = 3.55; p < .001) due to other factors were significant predictors for CM. These findings show that patients impaired in their communication ability are at higher risk of involuntary admission and CM and highlight the urgency of implementing appropriate interventions facilitating communication during admission and treatment.

A naturalistic study on the effectiveness of long-acting antipsychotics in an early intervention program for patients with recent-onset psychosis

AIM

To evaluate the impact of long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) on the risk of hospitalization and the length of hospitalization in the setting of an early intervention program for patients with recent-onset psychosis.

METHODS

Observational, retrospective study conducted under routine clinical practice conditions. We included all patients admitted from July 2015 to April 2020 to the Early Intervention Program in Psychosis. We analysed the incidence of hospitalization and hospitalization days before and after treatment with LAIs and calculated the incidence rate ratio (IRR). We also compared the outcomes of patients treated with LAIs with those of the patients maintained on oral antipsychotics using a binomial negative regression analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 170 patients were included in the program. Of them, 34 (20%) received LAIs (aripiprazole [n = 22], and paliperidone/risperidone [n = 12]). There was an 89% reduction in the incidence of hospitalizations after treatment with LAIs (IRR 0.11, 95%CI 0.05-0.21; p < .0001). The IRR for LAIs vs. oral antipsychotics was 0.87 (95%CI, 0.24-3.18; p = .829). The presence of a substance use disorder significantly increased the rate of hospitalizations by 123% (IRR 2.23, 95%CI 1.31-3.78). Analyses of hospitalization days showed similar results.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that LAIs are useful for the management of patients with recent-onset psychosis who fail treatment with oral antipsychotics. Whether LAIs are superior to oral antipsychotics as first-line treatment of patients with early psychosis and/or could play a special role in managing patients with early psychosis and comorbid substance use disorders should be further evaluated.

Duration of Untreated Psychosis in First-Episode Psychosis is not Associated With Common Genetic Variants for Major Psychiatric Conditions: Results From the Multi-Center EU-GEI Study

Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) is associated with clinical outcomes in people with a diagnosis of first-episode psychosis (FEP), but factors associated with length of DUP are still poorly understood. Aiming to obtain insights into the possible biological impact on DUP, we report genetic analyses of a large multi-center phenotypically well-defined sample encompassing individuals with a diagnosis of FEP recruited from 6 countries spanning 17 research sites, as part of the European Network of National Schizophrenia Networks Studying Gene-Environment Interactions (EU-GEI) study. Genetic propensity was measured using polygenic scores for schizophrenia (SZ-PGS), bipolar disorder (BD-PGS), major depressive disorder (MDD-PGS), and intelligence (IQ-PGS), which were calculated based on the results from the most recent genome-wide association meta-analyses. Following imputation for missing data and log transformation of DUP to handle skewedness, the association between DUP and polygenic scores (PGS), adjusting for important confounders, was investigated with multivariable linear regression models. The sample comprised 619 individuals with a diagnosis of FEP disorders with a median age at first contact of 29.0 years (interquartile range [IQR] = 22.0-38.0). The median length of DUP in the sample was 10.1 weeks (IQR = 3.8-30.8). One SD increases in SZ-PGS, BD-PGS, MDD-PGS or IQ-PGS were not significantly associated with the length of DUP. Our results suggest that genetic variation does not contribute to the DUP in patients with a diagnosis of FEP disorders.

A multivariate neuromonitoring approach to neuroplasticity-based computerized cognitive training in recent onset psychosis

Two decades of studies suggest that computerized cognitive training (CCT) has an effect on cognitive improvement and the restoration of brain activity. Nevertheless, individual response to CCT remains heterogenous, and the predictive potential of neuroimaging in gauging response to CCT remains unknown. We employed multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) on whole-brain resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) to (neuro)monitor clinical outcome defined as psychosis-likeness change after 10-hours of CCT in recent onset psychosis (ROP) patients. Additionally, we investigated if sensory processing (SP) change during CCT is associated with individual psychosis-likeness change and cognitive gains after CCT. 26 ROP patients were divided into maintainers and improvers based on their SP change during CCT. A support vector machine (SVM) classifier separating 56 healthy controls (HC) from 35 ROP patients using rsFC (balanced accuracy of 65.5%, P < 0.01) was built in an independent sample to create a naturalistic model representing the HC-ROP hyperplane. This model was out-of-sample cross-validated in the ROP patients from the CCT trial to assess associations between rsFC pattern change, cognitive gains and SP during CCT. Patients with intact SP threshold at baseline showed improved attention despite psychosis status on the SVM hyperplane at follow-up (p < 0.05). Contrarily, the attentional gains occurred in the ROP patients who showed impaired SP at baseline only if rsfMRI diagnosis status shifted to the healthy-like side of the SVM continuum. Our results reveal the utility of MVPA for elucidating treatment response neuromarkers based on rsFC-SP change and pave the road to more personalized interventions.

Length of stay for anorexia nervosa: Systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Evidence regarding global trends in length of stay for patients with anorexia nervosa is limited. The aim of this study is to conduct a meta-analysis examining the length of stay for anorexia nervosa patients globally, and to investigate moderators of the variance.

METHOD

Medline, EMBASE and PsycINFO were searched for studies published up to January 2019. Two independent reviewers assessed the eligibility of each report based on predefined inclusion criteria. A meta-analysis was performed to calculate a pooled mean length of stay using the random-effects model. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression were conducted to explore potential sources of heterogeneity between studies.

RESULTS

Of 305 abstracts reviewed, 71 studies met the inclusion criteria, generating 111 datasets. The pooled mean length of stay (95% confidence interval) was 76.3 days (73.3, 79.4) using the random-effects model, with marked variation across countries and time. Heterogeneity between studies was explained by age and admission body mass index.

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis found that although clinical features do contribute to length of admissions for anorexia nervosa, there are also global and temporal variations. Future research should provide an in-depth analysis of why and how this variation exists and what the impact is on the well-being of people with anorexia nervosa.

Psychiatric hospitalization following psychosis onset: A retrospective cohort study using health administrative data

AIM

There is limited evidence examining admissions in early psychosis. We sought to estimate the proportion of people with a psychiatric admission within 2 years of the first diagnosis of psychosis, and to identify associated risk factors.

METHOD

We constructed a cohort of incident non-affective psychosis cases using health administrative data and identified the first psychiatric hospitalization after psychosis onset. We compared hospitalization rates across sociodemographic, clinical and service-use factors.

RESULTS

One in three patients had an admission within 2 years of first diagnosis. Younger age, migrant status, diagnosis of psychosis not otherwise specified, and prior substance use were associated with increased hospitalization rates, whereas family physician involvement in diagnosis was protective.

CONCLUSIONS

Adolescents, immigrants and people presenting with diagnostic instability or prior substance use issues may benefit from interventions aimed at reducing hospitalization risk. Increasing primary care access and utilization among youth with early psychosis may also reduce hospitalization rates.