The effectiveness of Latvian Early intervention programme for first time schizophrenia spectrum psychosis patients

For almost two decades there has been wide discussion about prognosis and effective treatment for patient with psychosis. Is already known that pharmacotherapy can not be the exclusive treatment, but the most effective is patient tailored multiprofessional teamwork. We aimed to explore the effectiveness of first time adapted Early intervention programme in Latvia. All consecutive patients with first psychosis episode (FEP), admitted in Daugavpils Psychoneurological hospital (catchment area of 254 000 inhabitants) from 2016-2019 were offered to participate in study. 104 patients met the inclusion criteria, 68 of them were in the control group and received standard treatment (Group-1), 35 of them enrolled early intervention programme and received 6-month specialized mutliprofession team treatment and 27 finished the programme (Group-2). The effectiveness was evaluated as rate of rehospitalizations, rate of assigned disabilities and number of out-patient visits with psychiatrist. The were no difference between groups at baseline in assessments of Duration of untreated psychosis and Duration of untreated illness, education, living conditions and employment. The median patients' age in Group-1 were 32 (IQR=27-39) and in Group-2 29.85 (IQR=24-33), p=0.042. After the 12 months follow up period in the Group-1 36.1% of patients were rehospitalized vs 7.4% in Group-2, p<0.05. The disability was assigned to 34.4% of patients in Group-1 vs 7.4%, p<0.05, in 12 months follow up. The out-patient psychiatrist visits during first 12 months after FEP were as follows in Group-1 and Group-2: never visited psychiatrist or had a single visit- 19.6 % vs 3.7%, had visited psychiatrist 2 to 10 times 53.5 vs 70.4%, had visited psychiatrist more than 11 times 26.8% vs 25.9%, p>0.05. Latvian early intervention programme have promising results in decreasing the rates of rehospitalization and assigned disability after first episode of psychosis.