Schizophrenia remains a chronic and severe disorder despite availability of many medications. Existing treatments are limited and palliative.

Early detection of schizophrenia is important because the brain undergoes neurobiological elasticity one to two years before signs and symptoms appear. By the time symptoms of schizophrenia emerge, neurological changes have already occurred. Studies indicate early detection and treatment of schizophrenia produce better long-term outcome. This is important because the average length of untreated psychosis ranges from 1 to 3 years. Dr. McGlashen noted that the reverse is also true--that later treatment is associated with worse outcome. Their study focused on the early phase, defined as the 1-to-3 year period before and after diagnosis.

First-episode psychosis is being investigated by the Early Treatment and Prevention in Psychosis Study. The goal is to reduce the duration of untreated psychosis in one community in Rogaland, Scandinavia (population 320,000) and to measure its effect on the presentation and course of schizophrenia by comparing it with detection as usual (control) groups located in Oslo and Roskilde (total population 285,000). The average age of participants ranges from 15 to 65 years. Participants in the early treatment group (Rogaland) receive individual psychotherapy, multi-family groups, and treatment guided by an algorithm that began with atypical antipsychotics. Patients will be followed for 1, 2 and 5 years; the first year of the study has been completed.

A community education campaign focused on the general public, schools, and health care workers. This information campaign included television commercials, newspaper, radio and cinema advertisements, videos, pamphlets and brochures to every household in the city. In addition, schools received teacher and counselor training programs; primary health care services also received educational seminars. All educational materials included telephone contact information with the logo "Seek help as soon as you can, improve your chances of getting well." Once contacted, a detection team was activated and assessment was completed within 24 hours. This team consisted of a psychiatrist, a psychologist, 3 psychiatric nurses, and 2 social workers.