Does an integrated outreach intervention targeting multiple stages of early psychosis improve the identification of individuals at clinical high risk?

Abstract

AimsTo explore the impact of a targeted case identification intervention, with training and education regarding first‐episode psychosis and clinical high‐risk syndromes, on the referral and identification of those at high risk.MethodsUsing a historical control design, referral information from pre‐intervention and post‐intervention periods was collected via administrative data and clinician notes from a catchment‐based early psychosis service.ResultsA significant increase in the number of referrals sent to the service's clinical high‐risk unit was observed following the intervention (P = 0.01). The proportion of referrals eligible was significantly higher post‐intervention (P = 0.03), with the majority (26/44, 59.1%) referred via the first‐episode psychosis service unit.ConclusionsAn integrated outreach intervention for both first‐episode psychosis and the clinical high‐risk state was effective in increasing referrals of eligible cases to the service's at‐risk unit. Rather than being stage‐specific, targeted case identification strategies and service integration should span across the early stages of psychosis.