Baby or bathwater? Referrals of “non-cases” in a targeted early identification intervention for psychosis

Abstract

Purpose: To explore the unintended impact of a targeted case identification (TCI) campaign for first episode psychosis (FEP) on people not experiencing FEP (“non-cases”) with respect to referral patterns and reasons for being a non-case. Methods: Sources of referral, reasons for being a non-case, and subsequent referral destinations of non-cases were examined before and after a TCI. Results: Following the TCI, a greater proportion of non-cases lived outside the study catchment area. A smaller proportion was referred by the parent hospital’s emergency room or had a substance-induced psychosis. Conclusions: TCIs for FEP may have unintended effects, with implications for early case identification and early intervention services.