Penno SJ, et al. – A prospective cohort study was performed to assess five–year outcomes from an early psychosis program (EPP) that adopted an integrated model, providing nursing and multidisciplinary community mental healthcare to clients aged 16–65 years, beyond the typical age range of 16–25 years. The study findings suggested that there was potential for mental health nurses and other clinicians to significantly improve client symptoms and functioning, in a model of early psychosis treatment beyond a youth focus.

Methods

• For the purpose of this study, the researchers analyzed one routine outcome measure, the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS) across episodes of care for clients receiving EPP over a five year period (n = 239), comparing these outcomes with HoNOS outcomes in an Australian national dataset for all public mental health clients.

Results

• The present study showed that HoNOS improvements were highly significant from intake to discharge as well as from review to discharge for EPP clients, and these compared well with national outcome performance.