The traditional youth-oriented design of Early Intervention Services (EIS) may lead to the exclusion of patients who have their psychotic onset later in life. A retrospective study was conducted to compare first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients who accessed treatment when aged ≤ 35 years with those ≥36+. A total of 854 patients were identified among 46,222 individuals who had access to community psychiatric services from 1991 to 2021. FEP were aged 18–65, received care between 2012 and 2021 and had a diagnosis of affective or non-affective FEP. Two groups were identified (FEP diagnosed at age ≤ 35 vs ≥ 36) and compared for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Most patients were diagnosed when aged ≥ 36+ (61.8%). Compared to the ≤ 35 group, older patients were more likely to be women, married and diagnosed with affective psychosis, and they were less frequently hospitalized. Long-acting injectables antipsychotics (LAI) were less frequently prescribed in the ≥ 36+ group, whereas antidepressants were more frequently prescribed compared to those aged ≤ 35. In both age groups, women were less frequently prescribed LAIs compared to men. These findings highlight the need to reorient EIS to accommodate the needs of older FEP, especially women.

First episode psychoses in people over-35 years old: uncovering potential actionable targets for early intervention services

Ferrara, Maria
Primo
Writing – Original Draft Preparation
;
Domenicano, Ilaria
Secondo
Formal Analysis
;
Zaffarami, Giulia
Writing – Review & Editing
;
Onofrio, Alice
Writing – Review & Editing
;
Gentili, Elisabetta
Data Curation
;
Murri, Martino Belvederi
Writing – Review & Editing
;
Toffanin, Tommaso
Writing – Review & Editing
;
Grassi, Luigi
Ultimo
Funding Acquisition
2024

Abstract

The traditional youth-oriented design of Early Intervention Services (EIS) may lead to the exclusion of patients who have their psychotic onset later in life. A retrospective study was conducted to compare first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients who accessed treatment when aged ≤ 35 years with those ≥36+. A total of 854 patients were identified among 46,222 individuals who had access to community psychiatric services from 1991 to 2021. FEP were aged 18–65, received care between 2012 and 2021 and had a diagnosis of affective or non-affective FEP. Two groups were identified (FEP diagnosed at age ≤ 35 vs ≥ 36) and compared for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Most patients were diagnosed when aged ≥ 36+ (61.8%). Compared to the ≤ 35 group, older patients were more likely to be women, married and diagnosed with affective psychosis, and they were less frequently hospitalized. Long-acting injectables antipsychotics (LAI) were less frequently prescribed in the ≥ 36+ group, whereas antidepressants were more frequently prescribed compared to those aged ≤ 35. In both age groups, women were less frequently prescribed LAIs compared to men. These findings highlight the need to reorient EIS to accommodate the needs of older FEP, especially women.
2024
Ferrara, Maria; Domenicano, Ilaria; Marchi, Aurora; Zaffarami, Giulia; Onofrio, Alice; Benini, Lorenzo; Sorio, Cristina; Gentili, Elisabetta; Murri, M...espandi
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11392/2552052
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