Pathways to care in subjects at high risk for psychotic disorders — A European perspective

von Reventlow, Heinrich Graf; Krüger-Özgürdal, Seza; Ruhrmann, Stephan; Schultze-Lutter, Frauke; Heinz, Andreas; Patterson, Paul; Heinimaa, Markus; Dingemans, Peter; French, Paul; Birchwood, Max; Salokangas, Raimo K. R.; Linszen, Don; Morrison, Anthony; Klosterkötter, Joachim; Juckel, Georg (2014). Pathways to care in subjects at high risk for psychotic disorders — A European perspective. Schizophrenia Research, 152(2-3), pp. 400-407. Elsevier 10.1016/j.schres.2013.11.031

Text 10.1016j.schres.2013.11.031.pdf - Published Version Restricted to registered users only Available under License Publisher holds Copyright. Download (601kB)

Evidence-based decisions on indicated prevention in early psychosis require large-scale studies on the pathways to care in high-risk subjects. EPOS (The European Prediction of Psychosis Study), a prospective multi-center, naturalistic field study in four European countries (Finland, Germany, The Netherlands and England), was designed to acquire accurate knowledge about pathways to care and delay in obtaining specialized high risk care. Our high risk sample (n=233) reported on average 2.9 help-seeking contacts, with an average delay between onset of relevant problems to initial help-seeking contact of 72.6 weeks, and between initial help-seeking contact and reaching specialized high risk care of 110.9 weeks. This resulted in a total estimated duration of an unrecognized risk for psychosis of 3 ½ years. Across EPOS EU regions, about 90% of care pathway contacts were within professional health care sectors. Between EPOS regions, differences in the pathways parameters including early detection and health-care systems were often very pronounced. High-risk participants who later made transition to a full psychotic disorder had significantly longer delays between initial help-seeking and receiving appropriate interventions. Our study underlines the need for regionally adapted implementation of early detection and intervention programs within respective mental health and health care networks, including enhancing public awareness of early psychosis.

Interest & Impact

Downloads

0 since deposited on 02 Oct 2014
0 in the past 12 months

Citations

5 Citations in Web of Science ®
6 Citations in Scopus

Search

in Google Scholar™

Services

Actions (login required)

Edit item

Actions (login required)

Edit item