Morgan Craig, Fearon Paul, Hutchinson Gerard, McKenzie Kwame, Lappin Julia M, Abdul-Al Rudwan, Morgan Kevin, Dazzan Paola, Boydell Jane, Harrison Glynn, Craig Tom, Leff Julian, Jones Peter, Murray Robin
Division of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, UK.
Psychol Med. 2006 Feb;36(2):239-47. doi: 10.1017/S0033291705006604. Epub 2005 Dec 1.
There is a common assumption that Black patients with a psychotic mental illness experience longer treatment delays during a first episode. We sought to investigate this issue in a large cohort of patients with a first episode of psychosis.
All patients with a first episode of psychosis presenting to secondary mental health services within tightly defined catchment areas in south-east London and Nottingham over a 2-year period were included in the study. Data relating to duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) and clinical and sociodemographic characteristics were collected from patients, relatives and case-notes.
There was no evidence that African-Caribbean or Black African patients experienced longer periods of untreated psychosis than White British patients prior to first contact with services. There was evidence that Black African patients experienced shorter periods of untreated psychosis than White British patients.
Contrary to what is commonly assumed, our study suggests that Black patients with a psychotic mental illness do not experience longer treatment delays prior to first contact with services than White British patients. This suggests that strategies to reduce treatment delays targeted specifically at Black patients will be of limited value.
人们普遍认为，患有精神病性精神疾病的黑人患者在首次发作期间治疗延迟时间更长。我们试图在一大群首次发作精神病的患者中研究这个问题。
研究纳入了在两年时间内到伦敦东南部和诺丁汉严格划定的集水区内二级心理健康服务机构就诊的所有首次发作精神病患者。从患者、亲属和病历中收集了与未治疗精神病持续时间（DUP）以及临床和社会人口学特征相关的数据。
没有证据表明非裔加勒比裔或非洲黑人患者在首次接触服务之前比英国白人患者经历更长时间的未治疗精神病。有证据表明非洲黑人患者比英国白人患者经历的未治疗精神病时间更短。
与普遍看法相反，我们的研究表明，患有精神病性精神疾病的黑人患者在首次接触服务之前并不比英国白人患者经历更长的治疗延迟。这表明专门针对黑人患者减少治疗延迟的策略价值有限。
