The British Journal of Psychiatry (2006) 189: 79-80. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.105.019869
© 2006 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Data supplement
Right arrow Submit an eLetter
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Related articles in BJP
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Kisely, S.
Right arrow Articles by Simon, G.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Kisely, S.
Right arrow Articles by Simon, G.

SHORT REPORTS

Duration of untreated symptoms in common mental disorders: association with outcomes

International study

Stephen Kisely, MD, MSc, Anita Scott, MSc and Jennifer Denney, BSc

Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada

Gregory Simon, MD, MPH

Group Health Co-operative, Seattle, USA

Correspondence: Dr S. Kisely, Dalhousie University Psychiatry,Centre for Clinical Research, 5790 University Avenue, Halifax, NS B3H 1V7, Canada. Tel.: +1 902 494 7075; fax: +1 902 494 1597, email: Stephen.Kisely{at}cdha.nshealth.ca

Declaration of interest None.

Funding detailed in Acknowledgement

Studies have assessed the association between a longer duration of untreated symptoms and outcome for psychoses in specialist care. We investigated the effect of longer duration on the outcome of common psychiatric disorders in primary care, where most patients are treated. Patients presenting to primary care for new episodes in 10 countries were recruited into a prospective cohort study. Information on duration of untreated symptoms and psychosocial status was collected for 351 individuals using standardised instruments and this was repeated 1 year later. At 1-year follow-up, longer duration was associated with worse psychiatric outcome even after controlling for potential confounders.


Related articles in BJP:

Peter Tyrer
BJP 2006 189: 96. [Full Text]  

Highlights of this issue
Sukhwinder S. Shergill
BJP 2006 189: A1. [Full Text]