TY - JOUR

T1 - A naturalistic cohort study of first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorder

T2 - A description of the early phase of illness in the PSYSCAN cohort

AU - Slot, Margot I.E.

AU - van Hell, Hendrika H.

AU - Rossum, Inge Winter van

AU - Dazzan, Paola

AU - Maat, Arija

AU - de Haan, Lieuwe

AU - Crespo-Facorro, Benedicto

AU - Glenthøj, Birte

AU - Lawrie, Stephen M.

AU - McDonald, Colm

AU - Gruber, Oliver

AU - van Amelsvoort, Thérèse

AU - Arango, Celso

AU - Kircher, Tilo

AU - Nelson, Barnaby

AU - Galderisi, Silvana

AU - Weiser, Mark

AU - Sachs, Gabriele

AU - Maatz, Anke

AU - Bressan, Rodrigo A.

AU - Kwon, Jun Soo

AU - Mizrahi, Romina

AU - McGuire, Philip

AU - Kahn, René S.

AU - the PSYSCAN Consortium

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - Background: We examined the course of illness over a 12-month period in a large, international multi-center cohort of people with a first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorder (FES) in a naturalistic, prospective study (PSYSCAN). Method: Patients with a first episode of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder (depressive type) or schizophreniform disorder were recruited at 16 institutions in Europe, Israel and Australia. Participants (N = 304) received clinical treatment as usual throughout the study. Results: The mean age of the cohort was 24.3 years (SD = 5.6), and 67 % were male. At baseline, participants presented with a range of intensities of psychotic symptoms, 80 % were taking antipsychotic medication, 68 % were receiving psychological treatment, with 46.5 % in symptomatic remission. The mean duration of untreated psychosis was 6.2 months (SD = 17.0). After one year, 67 % were in symptomatic remission and 61 % were in functional remission, but 31 % had been readmitted to hospital at some time after baseline. In the cohort as a whole, depressive symptoms remained stable over the follow-up period. In patients with a current depressive episode at baseline, depressive symptoms slightly improved. Alcohol, tobacco and cannabis were the most commonly used substances, with daily users of cannabis ranging between 9 and 11 % throughout the follow-up period. Conclusions: This study provides valuable insight into the early course of a broad range of clinical and functional aspects of illness in FES patients in routine clinical practice.

AB - Background: We examined the course of illness over a 12-month period in a large, international multi-center cohort of people with a first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorder (FES) in a naturalistic, prospective study (PSYSCAN). Method: Patients with a first episode of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder (depressive type) or schizophreniform disorder were recruited at 16 institutions in Europe, Israel and Australia. Participants (N = 304) received clinical treatment as usual throughout the study. Results: The mean age of the cohort was 24.3 years (SD = 5.6), and 67 % were male. At baseline, participants presented with a range of intensities of psychotic symptoms, 80 % were taking antipsychotic medication, 68 % were receiving psychological treatment, with 46.5 % in symptomatic remission. The mean duration of untreated psychosis was 6.2 months (SD = 17.0). After one year, 67 % were in symptomatic remission and 61 % were in functional remission, but 31 % had been readmitted to hospital at some time after baseline. In the cohort as a whole, depressive symptoms remained stable over the follow-up period. In patients with a current depressive episode at baseline, depressive symptoms slightly improved. Alcohol, tobacco and cannabis were the most commonly used substances, with daily users of cannabis ranging between 9 and 11 % throughout the follow-up period. Conclusions: This study provides valuable insight into the early course of a broad range of clinical and functional aspects of illness in FES patients in routine clinical practice.

KW - First episode psychosis

KW - Functioning

KW - Longitudinal study

KW - PSYSCAN

KW - Remission

KW - Schizophrenia

U2 - 10.1016/j.schres.2024.02.018

DO - 10.1016/j.schres.2024.02.018

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 38431986

AN - SCOPUS:85186341470

VL - 266

SP - 237

EP - 248

JO - Schizophrenia Research

JF - Schizophrenia Research

SN - 0920-9964

ER -