Objectives:The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between Duration of Untreated Psychosis (DUP) and the clinical outcome of first-episode schizophrenia in Korea.
Methods:Retrospectively, we identified 25 first-episode schizophrenic patients, who admitted to our hospital from July 1998 to June 2000. 13 of them had a DUP shorter than 6 months and 12 had a DUP greater than 6 months. DUP was defined as the interval between the onset of psychotic symptoms (delusions and hallucinations) and the initiation of adequate treatment. By the interview with patients and their caretakers, and the review of clinical records at the time of first admission and the follow-up period over at least 3 years, demographical & clinical variables (gender, duration of education, marital status, employment status, mode of onset, age of onset, age of first hospitalization, DUP) and outcome variables (duration of first admission, duration of total admission, number of admission, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale [PANSS] score) were collected.
Results:Mean follow-up period was 52.04months (S.D.=±6.69). Mean DUP was 291.00days (S.D.=±366.37). Long DUP was correlated with to long-term hospitalization. Although not statistically significant, total and each subscale score of the PANSS of DUP>6month group were higher than those of DUP≤6month group.
Conclusions: This study suggests that longer DUP can predict poorer outcome in first-episode schizophrenia. (Schizophrenia Clinics 2004;7:9-14)
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