The impact of Early Intervention Services on Substance Use Outcomes for youth at Risk for Psychosis

What is it about?

Early intervention in psychosis (EIP) services aim to prevent transition to psychosis and improve outcomes for at-risk young people. Substance use is a modifiable risk factor that substantially influences functioning yet remains understudied in this population. We wanted to understand the patterns of substance use in young people at risk of psychosis using EIP services across Australia. Among 1,966 participants,there were high baseline rates of substance use, reporting past-3-month use of alcohol (60%), cannabis (43%), and tobacco (41%) at treatment entry. Early intervention services were associated with significant reductions in illicit substance use across 6 months, including reduced odds of using cannabis, amphetamine-type stimulants, and nonprescribed sedatives. Reductions in substance use were greater among participants ages ≥18 at treatment entry, whereas tobacco and alcohol use showed minimal improvement during treatment across the age groups.

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Photo by Maks Styazhkin on Unsplash

Photo by Maks Styazhkin on Unsplash

Why is it important?

EIP services were associated with reductions in illicit substance use but had limited impact on tobacco use suggesting that targeted strategies to address persistent use of these substances should be integrated into routine EIP care. These findings also support the idea of preventive intervention in the context of increased risk of substance use disorders as future comorbid problems for individuals experience mental ill-health.

Perspectives