Individual research recommendation details

Recommendation ID

CG178/4

Question

Maintaining the benefits of early intervention in psychosis services after discharge:- How can the benefits of early intervention in psychosis services be maintained once service users are discharged after 3 years?

Any explanatory notes
(if applicable)

Why this is important:- Early intervention in psychosis services deliver evidence-based interventions in a positive, youth-friendly setting, improve outcomes, are cost effective and have high service user acceptability and engagement. Once people are transferred to primary care or community mental health services these gains are diminished. The guideline recommends that trusts consider extending these services. However, the extent to which gains would be maintained and who would benefit most is not known. The successful element of early intervention in psychosis services might be incorporated into mainstream services for psychosis, but how this would function, and its cost effectiveness, needs to be determined.
The suggested programme of research should use an adequately powered, multi-centre randomised trial comparing extending early intervention in psychosis services (for example, for 2 years) versus providing augmented (step-down) care in community mental health services versus treatment as usual to determine whether the gains of early intervention can be maintained and which service users would benefit most under each condition. The primary outcome should be treatment/service engagement and secondary outcomes should include relapse, readmission, functioning and user preference.

Source guidance details

Comes from guidance

Psychosis and schizophrenia in adults: prevention and management

Number

CG178

Date issued

February 2014

Other details