BETHESDA, Md., Oct. 20 (UPI) -- A program of coordinated care, as close to the onset of psychotic issues as possible, was shown in a clinical study to be more productive for patients.
The care program, called NAVIGATE, is part of a larger trial called the Recovery After an Initial Schizophrenia Episode, or RAISE, that aims to improve mental health care for young people experiencing psychosis.
Depending on individual patient needs, the NAVIGATE care plan includes a combination of recovery-oriented psychotherapy, low doses of antipsychotic medications, family education and support, case management, and work or education support.
"The goal is to link someone experiencing first episode psychosis with a coordinated specialty care team as soon as possible after psychotic symptoms begin," said Dr. John Kane, a professor and chairman of the department of psychiatry at Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, in a press release. "Our study shows that this kind of treatment can be implemented in clinics around the country. It improves outcomes and the effects are greater for those with a shorter duration of untreated psychosis."
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Researchers assigned 34 clinics in 21 states to provide either the NAVIGATE program or standard care to 404 patients with a mean age of 23. The patients were split into two groups, with 223 participants receiving NAVIGATE and 181 in standard community care.
The researchers reported that, overall, the NAVIGATE patients remained in treatment longer, had a greater improvement in quality of life and psychopathy, and did better in school and work than patients who had standard care. The median amount of time patients had not been treated before entering either program was 74 weeks, with patients who started treatment before the 74th week of experiencing psychosis symptoms showing the most improvement.
The study is published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
