Psychosis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Psychosis, including details on clinical depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder.

Improving 1-year outcome in first-episode psychosis: OPUS trial.

Petersen L, Nordentoft M, Jeppesen P, Ohlenschaeger J, Thorup A, Christensen TØ, Krarup G, Dahlstrøm J, Haastrup B, Jørgensen P

Department of Psychiatry, Bispebjerg Hospital, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, DK-2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark. lonepetersen@mail.dk

BACKGROUND: Because early illness course and outcome may affect the long-term outcome of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, it is especially important to address poor outcome in this early critical period. AIMS: To evaluate whether integrated treatment compared with standard treatment reduced the proportion of patients with poor clinical and social outcome after 1 year. METHOD: A total of 547 patients with first-episode psychosis were included in the study, 275 randomly assigned to integrated treatment and 272 to standard treatment. Measures assessed psychotic symptoms and social functioning. RESULTS: There was a significant beneficial effect of integrated treatment v. standard treatment on "any poor outcome". Integrated treatment had a significantly better effect on "any poor outcome" in patients with schizophrenia compared with patients in standard treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The integrated treatment significantly reduced the proportion of patients with poor clinical and social outcome compared with standard treatment.

Published 1 August 2005 in Br J Psychiatry Suppl, 48: s98-103.
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