Birgit Janssen

Preventing progression to first-episode psychosis in early initial prodromal states.

BACKGROUND Young people with self-experienced cognitive thought and perception deficits (basic symptoms) may present with an early initial prodromal state (EIPS) of psychosis in which most of the disability and neurobiological deficits of schizophrenia have not yet occurred. AIMS To investigate the effects of an integrated psychological intervention (IPI), combining individual cognitive-behavioural therapy, group skills training, cognitive remediation and multifamily psychoeducation, on the prevention of psychosis in the EIPS. METHOD A randomised controlled, multicentre, parallel group trial of 12 months of IPI v. supportive counselling (trial registration number: NCT00204087). Primary outcome was progression to psychosis at 12- and 24-month follow-up. RESULTS A total of 128 help-seeking out-patients in an EIPS were randomised. Integrated psychological intervention was superior to supportive counselling in preventing progression to psychosis at 12-month follow-up (3.2% v. 16.9%; P = 0.008) and at 24-month follow-up (6.3% v. 20.0%; P = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS Integrated psychological intervention appears effective in delaying the onset of psychosis over a 24-month time period in people in an EIPS.

Acute effects of treatment for prodromal symptoms for people putatively in a late initial prodromal state of psychosis

BACKGROUND People in a putatively late prodromal state not only have an enhanced risk for psychosis but already suffer from mental and functional disturbances. AIMS To evaluate the acute effects of a combined supportive and antipsychotic treatment on prodromal symptoms. METHOD Putatively prodromal individuals were randomly assigned to a needs-focused intervention without (n=59) or with amisulpride (n=65). Outcome measures at 12-weeks effects were prodromal symptoms, global functioning and extrapyramidal side-effects. RESULTS Amisulpride plus the needs-focused intervention produced superior effects on attenuated and full-blown psychotic symptoms, basic, depressive and negative symptoms, and global functioning. Main side-effects were prolactin associated. CONCLUSIONS Coadministration of amisulpride yielded a marked symptomatic benefit. Effects require confirmation by a placebo-controlled study.

Praxisleitlinien in Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie

Zusammenfassung: Eine starkere Orientierung der arztlichen diagnostisch-therapeutischen Entscheidungsfindung an vorliegenden Leitlinien kann grundsatzlich einen entscheidenden Beitrag zur Erschliesung von Optimierungspotenzialen in Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie leisten. Studien verweisen jedoch auf vielfach noch unzureichende Leitlinienkonformitat und auf Varianzen in der Behandlungsqualitat. Vor diesem Hintergrund werden zunachst Konzept und Methodik der Leitlinienentwicklung durch eine Fachgesellschaft am Beispiel der DGPPN vorgestellt. Anhand einer Reihe von Projekten aus den Kompetenznetzen Depression und Schizophrenie werden zudem aktuelle Befunde zu erfolgreichen Strategien der Dissemination und Implementation von Leitlinien diskutiert. Vorliegende erste positive Evaluationsergebnisse aus diesen Projekten verdeutlichen das Potenzial hinsichtlich Prozessqualitat und Outcome der Behandlung, das von einer Verbesserung der Leitlinienkonformitat auch unter Alltagsbedingungen zu erwarten ist.

Evaluation of factors influencing medication compliance in inpatient treatment of psychotic disorders.

RationaleShort- and long-term compliance to prescribed antipsychotic drugs is of particular concern in regard to medication choice and treatment outcome in the care of psychotic disorders.ObjectiveWe evaluated patient-related and treatment-related factors associated with medication compliance in inpatients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or other psychotic disorder.MethodsWithin a naturalistic study in seven psychiatric hospitals, individuals with a psychotic disorder were assessed weekly on mental state, social functioning, side effects, and medication compliance. Logistic regression analyses were computed to assess patient and clinical predictors of medication compliance.ResultsWe found a significant association between medication compliance and substance abuse (OR 0.52, CI 0.32–0.85), involuntary admission (OR 0.60, CI 0.41–0.89), history of aggressive behavior (OR 0.57, CI 0.38–0.85), and no school graduation (OR 0.59, CI 0.41–0.86). Individuals with pronounced paranoid or negative symptoms were also less compliant in taking their prescribed medication. There was no association between the initial inpatient antipsychotic medication regime and patients’ compliance. Individuals who switched from a typical to an atypical antipsychotic drug were more compliant than those with their typical antipsychotic drug maintained. Those with higher medication compliance showed significantly greater improvement of their psychiatric symptoms during the inpatient stay.ConclusionPatient-related in addition to disease-related factors may strongly influence medication compliance. Besides more compliance with atypicals supposed by the literature, there may be a higher propensity for atypical drugs to be prescribed to those assumed to be more compliant.

Rationale and Baseline Characteristics of PREVENT: A Second-Generation Intervention Trial in Subjects At-Risk (Prodromal) of Developing First-Episode Psychosis Evaluating Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Aripiprazole, and Placebo for the Prevention of Psychosis

Antipsychotics, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and omega-3-fatty acids have been found superior to control conditions as regards prevention of psychosis in people at-risk of first-episode psychosis. However, no large-scale trial evaluating the differential efficacy of CBT and antipsychotics has been performed yet. In PREVENT, we evaluate CBT, aripiprazole, and clinical management (CM) as well as placebo and CM for the prevention of psychosis in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with regard to the antipsychotic intervention and a randomized controlled trial with regard to the CBT intervention with blinded ratings. The hypotheses are first that CBT and aripiprazole and CM are superior to placebo and CM and second that CBT is not inferior to aripiprazole and CM combined. The primary outcome is transition to psychosis. By November 2010, 156 patients were recruited into the trial. The subjects were substantially functionally compromised (Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale mean score 52.5) and 78.3% presented with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition axis I comorbid diagnosis. Prior to randomization, 51.5% of the participants preferred to be randomized into the CBT arm, whereas only 12.9% preferred pharmacological treatment. First, assessments of audiotaped treatment sessions confirmed the application of CBT-specific skills in the CBT condition and the absence of those in CM. The overall quality rating of the CBT techniques applied in the CBT condition was good. When the final results of the trial are available, PREVENT will substantially expand the current limited evidence base for best clinical practice in people at-risk (prodromal) of first-episode psychosis.

Reduced subjective quality of life in persons at risk for psychosis

Objective:  Subjective quality of life (sQoL) and potentially contributing factors were investigated in individuals putatively in an early (EIPS) or late initial prodromal state (LIPS) and healthy controls (HC).

Cognitive-behavioral therapy in the pre-psychotic phase: an exploratory study.

Although the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in schizophrenia has been established for persistent psychotic symptoms, little information is available on the effects of CBT in the pre-psychotic phase. We developed a comprehensive CBT program for clients in the early initial prodromal state that showed good feasibility and promising treatment effects in an uncontrolled prospective study. The specificity of these effects needs to be explored in a controlled trial.

Randomized controlled multicentre trial of cognitive behaviour therapy in the early initial prodromal state: effects on social adjustment post treatment.

Aim:  Improvement of social adjustment is a major aim of indicated prevention in young people at risk of developing psychosis. The present study explores the effect of specific cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) as compared with supportive counselling (SC) on social adjustment in people in a potential early initial prodromal state of psychosis (EIPS) primarily defined by self‐experienced cognitive thought and perception deficits (basic symptoms).

Improving outpatient treatment in schizophrenia: effects of computerized guideline implementation—results of a multicenter-study within the German Research Network on Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia clinical practice guidelines are developed to provide expert- and evidence-based advice to practicing psychiatrists in order to improve the management of this disorder. However, the application of these guidelines in everyday health care can still be described as nonsatisfying. Within the project “Guideline-supported quality management in outpatient treatment”, we investigated whether guideline adherence and quality of outcome can be improved by implementing a computer-based, guideline-oriented decision-support system. Therefore, a disease-specific decision-support system was developed interactively presenting guidelines to support the physicians decision-making process during the treatment of schizophrenia patients. We evaluated the system in a control group design: An experimental group consisting of 15 psychiatrists in private practice used the decision-support system, thus documenting the treatment of schizophrenic patients. Guideline-based algorithms were interactively and case specifically displayed on the PC-screen as soon as predefined triggers were met. A first control group in Munich provided treatment-as-usual, documenting the treatment via paper–pencil. Two further physician groups served as additional comparison groups: one also documented electronically using the decision-support system, however without receiving electronic guideline support, the second group carried out traditional quality circles while also using the paper–pencil approach. As a result of the intervention, we observed a strong initial but time-limited improvement with respect to the core aspects of outpatient treatment in schizophrenia in the experimental group. The findings suggest that decision-support systems, despite their limitations, can be used to enhance treatment outcome in schizophrenia outpatient care.

Guideline adherence in medication management of psychotic disorders: an observational multisite hospital study.

Objective:  To evaluate guideline adherence in in‐patient medication care of psychotic disorders.