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

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.