Patients at High Risk for Psychosis May Benefit From Step-Based Care

People who are at high risk of developing psychosis may benefit from a step-based care program that starts with low-intensity interventions before progressing to ones of greater intensity, according to asmall study published inPsychiatric Services.“Although comprehensive, cost-effective, and multicomponent treatment packages have been developed for individuals with psychotic disorders … treatment packages designed to address the complex needs of individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis are currently lacking,” wrote Sarah Hamilton , M.D., of Ohio State University and colleagues.Hamilton and colleagues recruited people who were at clinical high risk for psychosis and enrolled in the Early Psychosis Intervention Center at Ohio State University for the study. Participants could participate in one or more of five intervention tracks, including psychotherapy, pharmacology, family support, peer or social support, and vocational and educational services. For most tracks, initial services were of low intensity and less specific to psychotic symptoms, such as psychoeducation that focused on anxiety or depression or the benefits of substance use reduction. Individuals who did not meet symptom response criteria after the initial intervention progressed to increasingly intense interventions more specific to symptoms of psychosis, such as metacognitive remediation therapy, which is designed to address the decline in cognitive functioning that accompanies psychotic disorders.Pa...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: clinical high risk multicomponent care pharmacotherapy Psychiatric Services psychosis psychotherapy step-based care Source Type: research