Background:
Intervention during the prodromal phase of psychotic disorder has become an important focus of early intervention research.
Method:
The PACE Clinic, ORYGEN Youth Health, has been conducting a blinded randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing the effectiveness of low-dose risperidone (0.5–2.0 mg/day) and intensive CBT-based psychological treatment vs. placebo and intensive CBT-based psychological treatment vs. placebo and a control psychological treatment (befriending). The trial consists of a 12-month treatment phase, followed by a 12-month follow-up phase. The primary outcome of interest is the proportion of patients meeting onset of psychosis criteria during the treatment and follow-up phases.
Results:
The current presentation will describe baseline characteristics of the sample. About 119 participants (mean age = 18.36 years, men = 41.2%) meeting ultrahigh-risk criteria for psychotic disorder were randomized to the three treatment groups. Baseline characteristics will be compared between 1) the three treatment groups and 2) the treatment groups and a monitoring group (n = 83, mean age = 18.45 years, men = 41%), who received ‘treatment as usual’.
Conclusion:
Pending.