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. 2024 Apr:266:237-248.
doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.02.018. Epub 2024 Mar 2.

A naturalistic cohort study of first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorder: A description of the early phase of illness in the PSYSCAN cohort

Margot I E Slot  1 , Hendrika H van Hell  2 , Inge Winter-van Rossum  3 , Paola Dazzan  4 , Arija Maat  5 , Lieuwe de Haan  6 , Benedicto Crespo-Facorro  7 , Birte Glenthøj  8 , Stephen M Lawrie  9 , Colm McDonald  10 , Oliver Gruber  11 , Thérèse van Amelsvoort  12 , Celso Arango  13 , Tilo Kircher  14 , Barnaby Nelson  15 , Silvana Galderisi  16 , Mark Weiser  17 , Gabriele Sachs  18 , Anke Maatz  19 , Rodrigo A Bressan  20 , Jun Soo Kwon  21 , Romina Mizrahi  22 ; PSYSCAN Consortium; Philip McGuire  23 , René S Kahn  24
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Free article

A naturalistic cohort study of first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorder: A description of the early phase of illness in the PSYSCAN cohort

Margot I E Slot et al. Schizophr Res. 2024 Apr.
Free article

Abstract

Background: We examined the course of illness over a 12-month period in a large, international multi-center cohort of people with a first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorder (FES) in a naturalistic, prospective study (PSYSCAN).

Method: Patients with a first episode of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder (depressive type) or schizophreniform disorder were recruited at 16 institutions in Europe, Israel and Australia. Participants (N = 304) received clinical treatment as usual throughout the study.

Results: The mean age of the cohort was 24.3 years (SD = 5.6), and 67 % were male. At baseline, participants presented with a range of intensities of psychotic symptoms, 80 % were taking antipsychotic medication, 68 % were receiving psychological treatment, with 46.5 % in symptomatic remission. The mean duration of untreated psychosis was 6.2 months (SD = 17.0). After one year, 67 % were in symptomatic remission and 61 % were in functional remission, but 31 % had been readmitted to hospital at some time after baseline. In the cohort as a whole, depressive symptoms remained stable over the follow-up period. In patients with a current depressive episode at baseline, depressive symptoms slightly improved. Alcohol, tobacco and cannabis were the most commonly used substances, with daily users of cannabis ranging between 9 and 11 % throughout the follow-up period.

Conclusions: This study provides valuable insight into the early course of a broad range of clinical and functional aspects of illness in FES patients in routine clinical practice.

Keywords: First episode psychosis; Functioning; Longitudinal study; PSYSCAN; Remission; Schizophrenia.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Dr. Arango has been a consultant to or has received honoraria or grants from Acadia, Angelini, Biogen, Boehringer, Gedeon Richter, Janssen Cilag, Lundbeck, Medscape, Menarini, Minerva, Otsuka, Pfizer, Roche, Sage, Servier, Shire, Schering Plough, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, Sunovion and Takeda. Dr. Glenthøj has been the leader of a Lundbeck Foundation Centre of Excellence for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS) (January 2009 – December 2021), which was partially financed by an independent grant from the Lundbeck Foundation based on international review and partially financed by the Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark, the University of Copenhagen, and other foundations. All grants are the property of the Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark and administrated by them. She has no other conflicts to disclose. Dr. Sachs has been a consultant to or has received honoraria from Angelini, Janssen Cilag, Lundbeck, Mylan, Recordati. The other authors declare no competing interests.

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