Status of first-episode psychosis patients presenting for routine care in a defined catchment area

Abstract

Objective: To examine the clinical and behavioural status of all first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients admitted to hospital within a defined catchment area. Method: We used a structured format to review clinical records of all first admissions to hospitals from a catchment area (population 390 000) with diagnosis of a first episode of nonaffective psychosis over a 3-year period. Results: Patients were somewhat older than usually reported for FEP (mean age 31.3 years). They were mostly male (63.7%), single (80.8%), unemployed (87.4%), with a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum psychoses (85%), and had spent a mean of 31 days in an open inpatient unit and 2.93 days in an intensive care psychiatric unit during their first admission. Most (60.3%) were admitted involuntarily; 34.2% had a history of legal involvement; 18.8% had attempted suicide prior to admission; 31.5% had demonstrated violence toward people, property, or animals; 14.4% had suffered injuries; and 15.9% had shown aggressive behaviour during the hospital admission. Conclusions: These results identify some of the potential needs of FEP patients, toward whom early intervention services should be directed.