Optimal duration of an early intervention programme for first-episode psychosis: randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Numerous early intervention services targeting young people with psychosis have been established, based on the premise that reducing treatment delay and providing intensive treatment in the initial phase of psychosis can improve long-term outcome.

AIMS

To establish the effect of extending a specialised early intervention treatment for first-episode psychosis by 1 year.

METHOD

A randomised, single-blind controlled trial (NCT01202357) compared a 1-year extension of specialised early intervention with step-down care in patients who had all received a 2-year intensive early intervention programme for first-episode psychosis.

RESULTS

Patients receiving an additional year of specialised intervention had better outcomes in functioning, negative and depressive symptoms and treatment default rate than those managed by step-down psychiatric care.

CONCLUSIONS

Extending the period of specialised early intervention is clinically desirable but may not be feasible in lower-income countries.

Sustainability of treatment effect of a 3-year early intervention programme for first-episode psychosis

BackgroundEvidence indicates that the positive effects of 2-year early intervention services for psychosis are not maintained after service withdrawal. Optimal duration of early intervention in sustaining initial improved outcomes remains to be determined.AimsTo examine the sustainability of the positive effects of an extended, 3-year, early intervention programme for patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) after transition to standard care.MethodA total of 160 patients, who had received a 2-year early intervention programme for FEP, were enrolled to a 12-month randomised-controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01202357) comparing a 1-year extension of the early intervention (3-year specialised treatment) with step-down care (2-year specialised treatment). Participants were followed up and reassessed 2 and 3 years after inclusion to the trial.ResultsThere were no significant differences between the treatment groups in outcomes on functioning, symptom severity and service use during the post-trial follow-up period.ConclusionsThe therapeutic benefits achieved by the extended, 3-year early intervention were not sustainable after termination of the specialised service.

Prediction of functional remission in first-episode psychosis: 12-month follow-up of the randomized-controlled trial on extended early intervention in Hong Kong

BACKGROUND

Functional remission (FR) is an intermediate and necessary step toward recovery, but is understudied in first-episode psychosis (FEP). We aimed to examine the rate and predictors of FR in FEP patients in the context of a randomized-controlled trial (RCT) comparing a 1-year extension of early intervention (Extended EI, 3-year EI) with step-down psychiatric care (SC, 2-year EI).

METHODS

One hundred sixty Chinese patients were recruited from a specialized EI program for FEP in Hong Kong after they have completed this 2-year EI service, randomly allocated to Extended EI or SC, and followed up for 12 months. Assessments on premorbid adjustment and personality, clinical profiles, functioning, and treatment characteristics were conducted. FR was operationalized as simultaneous fulfillment of attaining adequate functional levels (measured by Social and Occupational Functioning Scale and Role Functioning Scale) and competitive employment at 6 and 12 months. Data analysis was based on 156 subjects who completed follow-up functional assessments.

RESULTS

Thirty-one (19.9%) patients achieved FR status. Multivariate binary regression analysis showed that female gender, lower degrees of premorbid schizoid-schizotypal traits, Extended EI treatment condition, lower levels of positive symptoms at intake, and better baseline functioning independently predicted FR.

CONCLUSION

This is the first RCT providing supportive evidence to an extension of EI service beyond 2-year treatment duration on further enhancing the likelihood of FR attainment in FEP. Our findings that only approximately 20% of patients achieved FR indicate an unmet therapeutic need for promoting sustained adequate functional improvement in the early stage of psychotic illness.

Prediction of self-stigma in early psychosis: 3-Year follow-up of the randomized-controlled trial on extended early intervention

BACKGROUND

Self-stigma represents a major barrier to recovery in people with psychotic disorders but is understudied in early illness stage. Longitudinal investigation of prediction for self-stigma is scarce and none is conducted in early psychosis. We aimed to prospectively examine baseline predictors of self-stigma in early psychosis patients in the context of a 3-year follow-up of a randomized-controlled trial (RCT) comparing 1-year extension of early intervention (EI) with step-down psychiatric care for first-episode psychosis (FEP).

METHOD

One hundred sixty Chinese patients were recruited from a specialized EI program for FEP in Hong Kong after they had completed this 2-year EI service, and underwent a 12-month RCT. Participants were followed up and reassessed 3years after inclusion to the trial. Comprehensive evaluation encompassing clinical, functional, subjective quality of life and treatment-related variables were conducted. Data analysis was based on 136 participants who completed self-stigma assessment at 3-year follow-up.

RESULTS

Fifty patients (36.8%) had moderate to high levels of self-stigma at 3-year follow-up. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that female gender, prior psychiatric hospitalization, longer duration of untreated psychosis and greater positive symptom severity at study intake independently predicted self-stigma at the end of 3-year study period.

CONCLUSION

Our results of more than one-third of early psychosis patients experienced significant self-stigma underscore the clinical needs for early identification and intervention of self-stigmatization in the initial years of psychotic illness. Further research is warranted to clarify prediction profile and longitudinal course of self-stigma in the early illness phase.

Motivational impairment predicts functional remission in first-episode psychosis: 3-Year follow-up of the randomized controlled trial on extended early intervention

OBJECTIVE

Functional remission represents an intermediate functional milestone toward recovery. Differential relationships of negative symptom sub-domains with functional remission in first-episode psychosis are understudied. We aimed to examine rate and predictors of functional remission in people with first-episode psychosis in the context of a 3-year follow-up of a randomized controlled trial comparing 1-year extension of early intervention (i.e. 3-year early intervention) with step-down psychiatric care (i.e. 2-year early intervention).

METHOD

A total of 160 participants were recruited upon completion of a 2-year specialized early intervention program for first-episode psychosis in Hong Kong and underwent a 1-year randomized controlled trial comparing 1-year extended early intervention with step-down care. Participants were followed up and reassessed 3 years after inclusion to the trial (i.e. 3-year follow-up). Functional remission was operationalized as simultaneous fulfillment of attaining adequate functioning (measured by Social and Occupational Functioning Scale and Role Functioning Scale) at 3-year follow-up and sustained employment in the last 6 months of 3-year study period. Negative symptom measure was delineated into amotivation (i.e. motivational impairment) and diminished expression (i.e. reduced affect and speech output). Data analysis was based on 143 participants who completed follow-up functional assessments.

RESULTS

A total of 31 (21.7%) participants achieved functional remission status at 3-year follow-up. Multivariate regression analysis showed that lower levels of amotivation (p = 0.010) and better functioning at study intake (p = 0.004) independently predicted functional remission (Final model: Nagelkerke R² = 0.40, χ² = 42.9, p < 0.001). Extended early intervention, duration of untreated psychosis and diminished expression did not predict functional remission.

CONCLUSION

Only approximately one-fifths of early psychosis patients were found to achieve functional remission. Functional impairment remains an unmet treatment need in the early stage of psychotic illness. Our results further suggest that amotivation may represent a critical therapeutic target for functional remission attainment in early psychosis.

Clinical and treatment-related determinants of subjective quality of life in patients with first-episode psychosis

Subjective quality of life (SQoL) has been increasingly studied in first-episode psychosis (FEP). Prior research primarily examined the impact of psychiatric symptoms on SQoL. Relationship between treatment-related factors and SQoL is under-studied. In this study, 159 Chinese patients who had completed 2-year treatment from early intervention service in Hong Kong were recruited. Assessments on premorbid adjustment, clinical profiles including social anxiety measure, functioning, antipsychotic-induced extrapyramidal side-effects and attitude toward medication treatment were conducted. SQoL was evaluated by Chinese version SF36 which generated mental and physical component summary (MCS and PCS) scores for analysis. Our results showed that more severe positive symptoms, higher level of depression, greater social anxiety, more negative attitude toward antipsychotic medications and greater degree of akathisia independently predicted lower MCS score. Higher social anxiety level and poorer functioning predicted lower PCS score. Our results indicate that affective and positive symptoms, functioning, and treatment-related variables are critical determinants of SQoL in FEP patients. These identified factors thus represent potentially malleable therapeutic targets for early detection and prompt intervention to promote enhancement of SQoL in the early stage of illness.

Prediction of motivational impairment: 12-month follow-up of the randomized-controlled trial on extended early intervention for first-episode psychosis

BACKGROUND

Amotivation is prevalent in first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients and is a major determinant of functional outcome. Prediction of amotivation in the early stage of psychosis, however, is under-studied. We aimed to prospectively examine predictors of amotivation in FEP patients in a randomized-controlled trial comparing a 1-year extension of early intervention (Extended EI, 3-year EI) with step-down psychiatric care (SC, 2-year EI).

METHODS

One hundred sixty Chinese patents were recruited from a specialized EI program for FEP in Hong Kong after they have completed this 2-year EI service, randomly allocated to Extended EI or SC, and followed up for 12 months. Assessments on premorbid adjustment, onset profiles, baseline symptom severity and treatment characteristics were conducted. Data analysis was based on 156 subjects who completed follow-up assessments.

RESULTS

Amotivation at 12-month follow-up was associated with premorbid adjustment, allocated treatment condition, and levels of positive symptoms, disorganization, amotivation, diminished expression (DE) and depression at study intake. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that Extended EI and lower levels of DE independently predicted better outcome on 12-month amotivation.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate a potentially critical therapeutic role of an extended specialized EI on alleviating motivational impairment in FEP patients. The longer-term effect of Extended EI on amotivation merits further investigation.

Risk perception in paranoia and anxiety: Two investigations across clinical and non-clinical populations

Objectives

It is common, among clinical and non-clinical populations alike, for paranoia and anxiety to co-occur. It has been suggested that anxiety and its related appraisal styles may contribute to development of paranoia. We aimed to evaluate different aspects of risk perception in relation to paranoia and anxiety and to identify specific aspects that may differentiate paranoia from anxiety. This paper consists of two inter-related studies.

Methods

Study 1 compared 30 patients with persecutory delusions, 21 patients with generalized anxiety disorder and 52 healthy controls. Study 2 compared 30 non-clinical individuals with high levels of paranoia and anxiety, 28 individuals with high anxiety only and 36 healthy controls. Within each study, the two symptomatic groups were matched on level of anxiety. Four dimensions of risk perception (i.e. likelihood, harm, controllability, and intentionality) were compared across groups, as measured by the locally validated Risk Perception Questionnaire.

Results

In both studies, the paranoia and the anxiety groups reported an elevated perceived likelihood of negative events than controls respectively. Only the paranoia groups reported an elevated perceived harm of neutral events than controls. In Study 2, the two at-risk groups attributed more harm and intentionality to negative events than controls.

Conclusion

Although perception of negative events was characteristic in anxiety (with or without paranoia), a biased perception of neutral events as risky was unique to the addition of paranoia. Implications to the transdiagnostic and continual view of psychopathology, and mechanism-based interventions were discussed.

Patterns and predictors of trajectories for subjective quality of life in patients with early psychosis: Three-year follow-up of the randomized controlled trial on extended early intervention

OBJECTIVE

Subjective quality of life is an important outcome of psychotic disorders. However, longitudinal course of subjective quality of life in the early illness stage is under-studied. We aimed to investigate the patterns and baseline predictors of subjective quality of life trajectories over 3 years in early psychosis patients, utilizing growth mixing modeling analysis, in the context of a 3-year follow-up of a randomized controlled trial comparing 1-year extension of early intervention with step-down psychiatric care for first-episode psychosis.

METHOD

One hundred sixty Chinese patients were recruited from specialized early intervention program for first-episode psychosis in Hong Kong after they had completed this 2-year early intervention service, and underwent 1-year randomized controlled trial as well as 2-year post-randomized controlled trial follow-up (i.e. 3-year follow-up). Assessments on premorbid adjustment, onset profile, psychopathology, functioning and treatment characteristics were conducted. Individual class membership of subjective quality of life trajectory derived from growth mixing modeling was based on the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey mental component summary scores measured at four different time-points (baseline, 1, 2 and 3 years) among 142 participants across 3-year follow-up.

RESULTS

Three distinct subjective quality of life trajectories were identified including higher-improving (68.3%, n = 97), lower-stable (24.6%, n = 35) and deteriorating (7%, n = 10) trajectories. Age of onset; duration of untreated psychosis; depressive, positive and negative symptoms; and intervention condition were significantly different between good (higher-improving trajectory) and poor (combined lower-stable and deteriorating trajectories) trajectory groups. Multiple regression analysis revealed that younger age of onset, more severe depression and receipt of step-down care independently predicted poor subjective quality of life trajectory.

CONCLUSION

Approximately one-third of patients displayed poor subjective quality of life trajectory in the early phase of psychotic illness. Our results affirm depression as a critical determinant of prospective subjective quality of life and underscores positive effect of extended early intervention on sustained subjective quality of life improvement. Further longitudinal research is warranted to facilitate better characterization of subjective quality of life course patterns and development of targeted intervention to optimize subjective quality of life in patients with early psychosis.