Early intervention in psychosis: Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS) outcomes from a five-year prospective study

Introduction: Over the last two decades, mental health services internationally have shifted towards intervening early in psychosis. The critical period for intervention is estimated to be five-years and many specialised programs target early psychosis. Aim/question: This prospective cohort study aimed to evaluate five-year outcomes from an early psychosis program (EPP) that adopted an integrated model, providing nursing and multidisciplinary community mental healthcare to clients aged 16-65. years, beyond the typical age range of 16-25. years. Method: We examined one routine outcome measure, the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS) across episodes of care for clients receiving EPP over a 5. year period (n = 239), comparing these results with HoNOS outcomes in an Australian national dataset for all public mental health clients. Results: HoNOS improvements were highly significant from intake to discharge and from review to discharge for EPP clients, and these compared well with national outcome performance. Conclusion: There is potential for mental health nurses and other clinicians to significantly improve client symptoms and functioning, in a model of early psychosis treatment beyond a youth focus.