The Basel early-detection-of-psychosis (FEPSY)-study -: design and preliminary results

Objective: Early detection and therapy of schizophrenic psychoses have become broadly accepted aims in psychiatry, recently even in very early stages of the disorder when clear diagnostic criteria are not yet fulfilled. However, reliable and widely applicable methods do not yet exist. This study aims at contributing to the improvement of the early assessment of psychosis. Method: Individuals potentially at risk are identified by a newly developed stepwise screening procedure. Identified subjects are then examined extensively and followed-up for at least 5 years to detect actual transition to psychosis. Results: Of 50 subjects who have been followed up for 1-5 years by now, 16 have progressed to frank psychosis, 12 of them during the first 12 months of follow-up. Conclusion: At this stage, our approach seems to be promising for the early detection of psychosis. Further results from this ongoing study will hopefully permit us to optimize the assessment procedure.