Wing Chung Chang,
Jennifer Yee Man Tang,
Christy Lai Ming Hui,
May Mei Ling Lam,
Gloria Hoi Yan Wong,
Sherry Kit Wa Chan,
Cindy Pui Yu Chiu, Dicky Wai Sau Chung,
Chi Wing Law,
Steve Tso,
Kathy Chan,
Se Fong Hung,
Eric Yu Hai Chen
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ABSTRACT: Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) has been considered as one of the few potentially malleable prognostic factors in psychotic illness. Literature demonstrated that prolonged DUP predicted positive symptoms level, but its relationships with negative symptoms and functional outcome were less clear-cut. Thus far, most first-episode studies were conducted in western countries. Yet, it is known that illness outcome might be modified by socio-cultural factors. In this study, we aimed to examine the impact of DUP on baseline characteristics, clinical and vocational outcomes over three years in seven hundred Chinese young people presented with first-episode psychosis to a specialized early intervention service in Hong Kong. Our results showed that prolonged DUP was associated with male sex, younger age of onset, schizophrenia-spectrum diagnosis, insidious development of psychosis, fewer baseline positive symptoms and less likelihood of hospitalization at intake. Regression analyses revealed that prolonged DUP was significantly predictive of outcome on positive symptoms, recovery and sustained full-time employment in first-episode psychosis cohort. Taken together, our study provided further supportive evidence regarding the prognostic value of DUP on illness outcome. Additionally, it suggested that an adverse impact of treatment delay for psychosis may likely be applied across regions of various ethno-cultural backgrounds.
Psychiatry Research 03/2012; · 2.52 Impact Factor
