First-episode psychosis: Part 1 – assessment, diagnosis and rationale

Over the last 15 years there has been an increase in the number of clinical services specifically for first-episode psychosis (FEP), notably early intervention in psychosis (EIP) teams. However, people are often unclear about why specific attention has been focused on FEP.

This first module in a series of two will:

• describe the features of first-episode psychosis,
• discuss the rationale for the early intervention approach in treating FEP,
• explain the concepts of the psychosis prodrome and the at-risk mental state (ARMS),
• provide specific assessment approaches for those experiencing FEP.