Short-term compliance in first-episode psychosis

Abstract

Introduction

Non-compliance is a significant problem in patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP), representing a challenge for mental health professionals due to the heterogeneous course and functional outcomes.

Objectives

The aim was to describe the short-term compliance in FEP and analyze the demographics, clinical features, and management issues potentially associated with non-compliance.

Methods

This observational and retrospective study included all consecutive FEP admitted to our psychiatry unit from January to June 2015, belonging to our catchment area. To be categorized as compliant, patients had to attend month-1 and month-3 follow-up visits. Characteristics of compliant and non-compliant were compared using a bivariate analysis.

Results

We included 18 patients whose characteristics are shown in the table. Overall, 8 (44.4%) were non-compliant. Patients who were non-compliant had a significantly shorter length of stay (10.3 [6.3] vs. 18.5 [8.9] days). Most patients (66.7%) had cannabis abuse, being slightly more frequent among non-compliant (75% vs. 60%, P = NS); in addition, the diagnosis of substance-induced psychotic disorder was also more common among non-compliant (50% vs 20%, P = NS). There were 2 patients who were readmitted, both in the non-compliant group (Table 1).

Conclusions

Short-term non-compliance is high among patients with FEP. Despite the limitations of our study, our results suggest that, beside other factors (e.g. substance abuse), non-compliance could be associated with management-related factors.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Table 1