Which components of specialized early intervention for psychosis do senior providers see as most important?

Abstract

Aim: Specialized early interventions improve outcomes in early psychosis (EP). Experts have proposed a number of essential treatment components. However, it is unclear whether these reflect the views of senior clinic staff charged with implementing this model in practice.

Method: Twenty-Five senior EP clinic staff across California completed a survey indicating which features of EP treatment they considered most important.

Results: Components related to the service structure and the need for a prompt, comprehensive assessment and care planning were considered most important, despite the limited evidence base evaluating these aspects of care. Administration of clozapine to treatment-refractory patients and weight gain interventions were considered the least important, despite the relatively strong evidence base supporting these treatment components.

Conclusion: The findings suggest a bi-directional dissemination gap, where components considered most important by senior providers receive limited research attention, while some areas with supporting evidence may be underappreciated in clinical practice.

Keywords: community health services; early intervention; healthcare providers; psychotic disorders; surveys and questionnaires.