Factors Related to Relapse from the Perspectives of Young Adults Receiving Services for First-Episode Psychosis
Poster A87, Thursday, October 20, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm, Le Baron
Shalini Lal1,2,3, Anna Czesak1, Gina Marandola3, Phil Tibbo4, Rahul Manchanda5, Richard Williams6, Ridha Joober3,7, Nicola Banks7, Ashok Malla3,7; 1University of Montreal, 2University of Montreal’s Hospital Research Center (CR-CHUM), 3Douglas Mental Health University Institute, 4Dalhousie University, 5London Health Sciences Centre, 6Vancouver Island Health Authority, 7McGill University, 8Canadian Consortium for Early Intervention in Psychosis
Background: Relapse following a first-episode psychosis is a major clinical challenge for specialized early intervention services. Understanding patient perspectives on factors related to relapse can help to inform the development of interventions targeting relapse prevention; however, limited research has been conducted on such factors from a patient perspective. Purpose: To gain an in-depth understanding of the contributory and protective factors related to relapse from the perspectives of patients receiving services for a first-episode psychosis. Methods: A qualitative approach using focus group methods was used to explore the subjective experiences and perspectives of relapse with 26 participants recruited from four early intervention programs for psychosis in Canada, with a mean age of 24.8 (s.d. 5.3), of which 20 were male. Results: Factors perceived as contributing to relapse were related to: medication, substance use, life events, negative self-perceptions, stress, social environment and the Internet and technology. Factors perceived as preventing relapse were related to: education, working on the self (i.e., achieving a healthy lifestyle by eating, exercising, and sleeping well; acceptance of illness and making a positive change in life), taking medication regularly, having support from the social environment, engaging in meaningful activities, and the use of Internet and technology. Conclusion: There are several shared perspectives among patients with regards to factors related to relapse. Most of the contributive factors are modifiable; these findings can inform the development and optimization of psychosocial assessments, monitoring, and relapse prevention interventions at the individual and environmental level.
Topic Area: First Episode Psychosis