Increased use of primary care during 6 years of prodromal schizophrenia

TY - JOUR

T1 - Increased use of primary care during 6 years of prodromal schizophrenia

AU - Nørgaard, H C B

AU - Søndergaard Pedersen, H

AU - Fenger-Grøn, M

AU - Mors, O

AU - Nordentoft, M

AU - Vestergaard, M

AU - Munk Laursen, Thomas

N1 - © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PY - 2016/9/1

Y1 - 2016/9/1

N2 - BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis is important for the course of schizophrenia.AIM: To investigate whether prodromal symptoms of schizophrenia lead to increased use of primary care.METHOD: A register-based cohort study of 21 894 cases with incident schizophrenia and 437 880 matched controls.RESULTS: Cases used daytime primary care 43% more than controls during the 6 years before diagnosis (IRR = 1.43; 95% CI: 1.39; 1.48) and 132% more during the last 2 months (IRR = 2.32; 95% CI: 2.27; 2.37), and 34% (IRR = 1.34; 95% CI: 1.23; 1.48) vs. 374% more for out-of-hours services (IRR = 3.74; 95% CI: 3.52; 3.98). Six years before index diagnosis, 30% of cases had at least one psychiatric contact without being diagnosed with schizophrenia, increasing to 75% 1 month before diagnosis.CONCLUSION: Increased help-seeking behaviour was seen at least 6 years before index diagnosis, suggesting a 'window' for earlier diagnosis of prodromal schizophrenia.

AB - BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis is important for the course of schizophrenia.AIM: To investigate whether prodromal symptoms of schizophrenia lead to increased use of primary care.METHOD: A register-based cohort study of 21 894 cases with incident schizophrenia and 437 880 matched controls.RESULTS: Cases used daytime primary care 43% more than controls during the 6 years before diagnosis (IRR = 1.43; 95% CI: 1.39; 1.48) and 132% more during the last 2 months (IRR = 2.32; 95% CI: 2.27; 2.37), and 34% (IRR = 1.34; 95% CI: 1.23; 1.48) vs. 374% more for out-of-hours services (IRR = 3.74; 95% CI: 3.52; 3.98). Six years before index diagnosis, 30% of cases had at least one psychiatric contact without being diagnosed with schizophrenia, increasing to 75% 1 month before diagnosis.CONCLUSION: Increased help-seeking behaviour was seen at least 6 years before index diagnosis, suggesting a 'window' for earlier diagnosis of prodromal schizophrenia.

KW - Journal Article

U2 - 10.1111/acps.12600

DO - 10.1111/acps.12600

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 27295520

SN - 0001-690X

VL - 134

SP - 225

EP - 233

JO - Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica

JF - Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica

IS - 3

ER -