Survey of the European Psychiatric Association on the European status and perspectives in early detection and intervention in at-risk mental state and first-episode psychosis

Aim: Early detection/early intervention (ED/EI) programmes have been inconsistently implemented throughout Europe. We evaluated the ED/EI service distribution in European Psychiatric Association (EPA) member countries, considering indicators of socio-economic development, human and financial resources allocated in mental health (MH) as well as presence of a national branch of the Early Intervention in MH (IEPA). Contextually, we evaluated the duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) in relation to ED/EI service implementation. Methods: EPA section “Prevention of Mental Disorders” conducted the cross-sectional survey administering the 16-item questionnaire to the representatives of its National Psychiatric Associations (NPAs). The survey addressed the Service status and profile, national guidelines, education and policy, DUP and IEPA national branch status. The data were analysed in relation to the indices of economic parameters and MH resources. Results: Neither the national economic parameters, nor indices of MH financial resources were significantly associated with variables related to ED/EI implementation. However, more MH human resources per country were associated with shorter DUP. In comparison to countries without a national branch of IEPA, all of these with the branch had more MH human resources, ED/EI chapters in the national guidelines and services involving both adolescents and adults. Conclusions: An unequal development of ED/EI services and related academic activities appears throughout Europe. The current results, besides providing a useful starting point to set the agenda for harmonizing ED/EI services, reveal that their implementation was more likely to be influenced by the IEPA membership status, rather than by country-specific financial and human resources allocated to MH.