The early phase of schizophrenia is critical for rehabilitation outcomes: LAI antipsychotics can help in the clinical stabilization, but Evidence-Based Psychosocial Interventions (EBPI) are important to improve real-world psychosocial functioning. The present study aimed to assess the implementation and outcomes of EBPI in real-world clinical settings in people in the early phase of schizophrenia treated with LAI. Individuals diagnosed with Schizophrenia with an onset in the previous 5 years and stabilized with LAI treatment accessing 15 different centers were included in this prospective observation study with a 1-year observation follow-up. Rates of implementation of EBPI were recorded: participants receiving at least one EBPI were included in the “EBPI” group, and the others were included in the “Non-EBPI” group. Groups were compared on drop-out rates and clinical and functional outcomes at 3-, 6- and 12-months observations. A total of 116 participants were recruited in the study, 43 (37.07%) of which underwent at least one EBPI. A total of 68 (58.6%) participants completed the 1-year observation. No significant differences in drop-outs were observed between “EBPI” and “Non-EBPI” groups. Participants in the “EBPI” group showed superior improvements in real-world psychosocial functioning in longitudinal comparisons (12 months; p = 0.032) and at all time-points (all p < 0.05). Both groups showed improvements in core symptom domains, without other significant between-groups differences. EBPI are effective in improving psychosocial functioning in real-world clinical practice, but their dissemination is still limited. LAI antipsychotics are effective in clinical stabilization in the early phase of schizophrenia.
Evidence-based psychosocial interventions in recent-onset schizophrenia treated with long-acting injectable antipsychotics: a real-world prospective multicenter study
Antonio Vita·Laura Rosellini·Alfredo Bisogno·A. Mautone·Vittoria Niglio·Adelaide Panariello·Lorenzo Bertoni·Anna Ceraso·Gaetano Pinto·Tiziana De Donatis·Chiara Reho·Miriam Rizzo·Michele Mancuso·Enrico Rosini·Giulio Corrivetti·Chiara Rovera·Pamela Blanco·Jacopo Lisoni·Giacomo Deste·Irene Calzavara-Pinton·Dario Dell'Ovo·Annarita Vignapiano·Silvia Merlin·Lucia Rossetto·Mario Del Villano·Gabriele Nibbio·Serafino De Giorgi·Dario Lamonaca·Giuseppe Nicolò·Maurizio Pompili·Enrico Pompili·Sergio Barlati·the ESCHILO Study Group·Antonio Baglioni·Francesco Monaco·Anna Radice·F Matallo·Denise Erbuto·Marco Otto Toscano·Mauro Percudani·Serena Navari·Giuseppe Ducci·Maria Fanini·Nicoletta Marinelli·Luca Luciani·Gianfranco Salierno

