RESEARCH WEEKLY: Early Intervention in Psychosis Programs in Preventing Suicide By Elizabeth Sinclair Hancq (September 21, 2022) Early intervention in psychosis programs aim to support individuals in the early stages of illness, referred to as first-episode psychosis. Research into these prevention programs has shown positive outcomes for individuals in both improving quality of life, including educational attainment and employment, and reducing longer term suffering, such as by decreasing hospitalizations and symptom severity over the individual’s lifetime. Two new research articles published this month provide further evidence into both the predictors of self-harm among individuals with first-episode psychosis and whether early intervention in psychosis programs can be effective in preventing suicide. Taken together, the results from these two studies suggest that early intervention in psychosis programs should be widely implemented in the United States while paying particular focus to preventing suicidal behaviors in this at-risk population of individuals with first-episode psychosis. Predicting self-harm in first-episode psychosis Researchers from the University of Hong Kong and University of Pennsylvania examined the relationship between symptoms of self-harm among individuals with first-episode psychosis schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. The results, published in Schizophrenia Bulletin this month, suggest that depression symptoms contribute to self-harm during the first year after diagnosis, while psychotic symptoms have a greater contribution to self-harm in later years. The results suggest that suicide prevention in individuals with first-episode schizophrenia requires a tailored and phase-specific approach to target the factors contributing to self-harm behaviors among these individuals. The cost-effectiveness of early intervention in psychosis programs Early intervention in psychosis programs include medication management and psychosocial support for individuals who are first meeting diagnostic criteria for having a psychotic disorder, termed first-episode psychosis. These programs can vary in terms of additional program components and program goals, but overall, these programs have shown positive outcomes when evaluated. New research published in Psychiatric Services this month by authors from University of Toronto and Harvard University suggests that early intervention in psychosis programs are cost-saving to society, while simultaneously cost-effective within the health care system. To come to these conclusions, the study authors developed a decision-analytic model utilizing U.S.-based data from clinical trials, published meta-analyses and government data. Data points included hospitalizations, employment, lifetime health care costs, and quality-adjusted life years (QALY), a standard measure of how well a given intervention improves patients’ lives. The authors found that early intervention in psychosis programs contributed to, on average, 3.2 fewer hospitalizations and 2.7 more years employed over the course of patients’ lives compared to individuals with the same diagnosis who received standard care. Combined with health care costs of the intervention, as well as both productivity benefits and health care consumption costs of the individual over time, the study authors found that early intervention in psychosis programs saved costs from a societal perspective or, in other words, had higher health benefits and lower costs compared to standard care. Part of this result is due to its effect on reducing suicide risk in individuals receiving early intervention in psychosis program care, according to the authors. Overall, the authors conclude that “it is economically favorable to fund this treatment program in the United States.” References Sediqzadah S., et al. (2022). Cost-effectiveness of early intervention in psychosis: A modeling study. Psychiatric Services. Wong, T.Y., et al. (2022). Dynamic patterns of symptoms and functioning in predicting deliberate self-hard in patients with first-episode schizophrenia-spectrum disorders over 3 years. Schizophrenia Bulletin. Elizabeth Sinclair Hancq is the director of research at Treatment Advocacy Center. View as Webpage To receive Research Weekly directly in your email inbox on a weekly basis, click here. Questions? Contact us at [email protected] Research Weekly is a summary published as a public service of the Treatment Advocacy Center and does not necessarily reflect the findings or positions of the organization or its staff. Full access to research summarized may require a fee or paid subscription to the publications. The Treatment Advocacy Center does not solicit or accept funds from pharmaceutical companies. Treatment Advocacy Center | 200 N Glebe Rd, Ste 801, Arlington, VA 22203 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected] powered by Try email marketing for free today!