The purpose of this study is to determine the decrease of neurological soft signs (NSS) during adolescence and to compare this evolutionary process in two groups of adolescents with first episode psychosis: a) schizophrenia and b) non-schizophrenia patients. The structured neurological evaluation scale (NES) was administered to 24 adolescents with first episode psychosis. The number of NSS, the...

AIM Although phase-specific early intervention for first-episode psychosis has been implemented in many different parts of the world, limited medium-term outcome data are available in non-Western populations with relatively low mental health resources. The study aimed to determine the effectiveness of phase-specific early intervention in first-episode psychosis. METHOD In this cohort study, w...

OBJECTIVES To examine the prevalence of substance use among treatment naïve patients with first episode psychosis presenting to a psychiatry outpatient clinic in India. METHODS The study sample consisted of 139 first episode treatment naïve patients with psychosis from in and around Bangalore, a city in South India. Self as well as informant-reported data on type, use and duration of substanc...

The effectiveness of psychological treatments in schizophrenia has been explored in controlled trials over the last 15 years leading to the conclusion that they are an important adjunct to antipsychotic medication in the treatment of the disorder. Family interventions and cognitive-behavioral treatments have received the most attention. However, studies have mainly been carried out with individ...

BACKGROUND Loss of gray matter has been previously found in early-onset schizophrenic patients. However, there are no consistent findings between studies due to different methods used to measure grey matter volume/density and influences of confounding factors. METHODS The volume of gray matter (GM) was measured in 29 first episode early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) and 34 well-matched healthy co...

BACKGROUND Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in patients with psychotic disorders has been reported to be a frequent co-morbid disorder in patients with psychotic disorders. The aim of the study determine the prevalence of OCD in first-episode psychosis and the relationship with clinical characteristics. METHODS First-episode psychosis patients (N = 246) consecutively admitted to a comprehe...

BACKGROUND A limited number of studies have assessed the pathways to care of patients experiencing psychosis for the first time. Helpline/clinic programs may offer patients who are still functional but have potential for crisis an alternative that is free from judgment. METHODS In this study we report on patient calling a round-the-clock crisis helpline for suicide prevention supported by psy...

Synthetic cannabinoids- (SCs-) induced psychosis is a growing public health concern. It leads to significant impairment, including emotional distress, difficulty communicating, and other debilitating symptoms. In this case report, we discuss a patient with no previous history of psychotic symptoms, presenting with first-episode psychosis in the context of progressive, acutely worsening, disorga...

Identification of early clinical markers that predict later treatment outcomes in first-episode psychosis is highly valuable. The present study was conducted to determine the best time at which to predict the late treatment response in first-episode psychosis patients treated with paliperidone extended release (ER), the factors predicting early treatment responses (at Week 2 and Week 3) and the...

AIM Caring for young people with first-episode psychosis is difficult and demanding, and has detrimental effects on carers' well-being, with few evidence-based resources available to assist carers to deal with the problems they are confronted with in this situation. We aimed to examine if completion of a self-directed problem-solving bibliotherapy by first-time carers of young people with first...