First episode psychosis. The Danish National Schizophrenia project

Abstract

Aim

To describe the rationale, design and methods of the Danish National Schizophrenia project, and to characterise its sample at inclusion and after 1 and 2 years concerning outcome, gender, treatment as usual and furthermore to describe interpersonal self-image as a predictor for outcome.

Method

Prospective, comparative, longitudinal, multi-centre study (16 centres), including 562 patients with a first episode psychosis of ICD-10 F-2 type, successively referred during two years.

Patients were treated with three different interventions

1. an assertive, integrative psycho-social and educational treatment programme; 2. a supportive psychodynamic treatment as a supplement to treatment as usual; and 3. treatment as usual. Symptoms, social function and sociodemographic data were registered regularly, and followed up after one and two years.

Results

Comparison of the outcome of the three treatment methods showed that the two methods of intervention helped the patients significantly better on several outcome measures than the ‘Treatment as Usual’.