Early Intervention Matters
There is overwhelming evidence to suggest that intervening early has big benefits:
- • Caught very early, it may be possible to delay or prevent the onset of chronic and disabling psychosis
- • Reduces burden of psychosis to the individual and society at large (IEPA, 2005)
- • Leads to reduced hospitalization and increased engagement with community services (Dodgson et al, 2008)
Potential neurodevelopmental stages of schizophrenia
Psychosis is non-linear. Those in Stage 1 are not pre-determined to move to Stage 2, especially with early intervention
Duration of Untreated Psychosis (DUP) Versus Rate of Relapse
Research shows that the duration of time in which a person fails to enter treatment has a direct and significant impact upon future hospitalizations. The chart below shows that delaying entry into treatment by one year doubles ones chances of relapsing in the next year.
