TIPS - Purpose

1. To examine whether a program designed to reduce duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) in Rogaland county actually does reduce DUP. This program includes the following elements:

Information towards the public

Information and education towards the primary health services (general practitioners, health nurses etc.) and professionals in the schools (counsellors, social teachers, etc).
Establishing a low threshold Early Detection Team consisting of specialised, experienced clinicians.

2. To examine which problems will arise when we try to introduce a system for early detection of psychosis. As a part of this, investigate if the public's knowledge about psychosis is changed by information campaigns and describe which clinical problems the patients referred to the Detection Team represent. This will form the basis for the further development of the early detection work and continuous development of the program in the necessary direction.

3. To examine whether reduction of DUP in Rogaland will improve the long-term prognosis or outcome for patients with a first episode non-affective functional psychosis.

4. To examine how the course is for such patients in short and long terms (5 years), when they are offered an optimal treatment program (2 years duration), which among other things consists of psychotherapy, medication, and a pedagogic family program.

5. To examine which problems the health services meet when trying to establish an optimal treatment program for patients with a first episode psychosis. What modifications (if any) must be done to offer this presumptive optimal treatment to patients with very short DUP?