Cost-effectiveness of Early Intervention in First-episode Psychosis: Economic Evaluation of the PAFIP Program at Medium and Long-term

Schizophrenia has very significant economic consequences. Costs fall on many different parts of society, especially on individuals with schizophrenia and their families. The first five years after onset appears to be a critical period in which the symptoms are more responsive to treatment. In addition, if left untreated for a long time, psychosis can impact many areas of a person's life. The evidence base regarding the effectiveness of specialist early intervention services for psychosis has grown steadily and evidence from randomized controlled trials in Denmark, the United Kingdom and Spain has demonstrated the superiority of specialized early intervention programs over standard care on a broad range of outcomes including symptomatic and vocational, social functioning, and reduced inpatient care and treatment dropout, as measured over follow-up intervals of 2-3 years. Information about the cost-effectiveness of early intervention programs for first-episode psychosis is limited. The provision of such services requires investment by health departments and services, and the question of whether such services represent value for money has to date received little research attention. Only a few international studies, and none conducted in Spain, have investigated the cost effectiveness of early intervention in psychotic disorders at medium (3 years) and long-term (up to 10 years). In this study, the investigators aimed to analyse the cost-effectiveness of an intensive early-intervention programme, using data from First Episode Psychosis Clinical Program (PAFIP), the largest trial treating first episode non-affective psychosis in Spain to date.