Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, USA.
Early Interv Psychiatry. 2008 Aug;2(3):162-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-7893.2008.00073.x.
Evidence suggests that treatment delay, represented by the duration of untreated illness (DUI) and the duration of untreated psychosis (DUP), may be a potentially powerful determinant of the early course of primary psychotic disorders. Yet, research on the predictors of treatment delay has only just begun. To date, there are virtually no empirical data on the relationship between family functioning and treatment delay in the context of first-episode psychosis. In this study, it was hypothesized that family strengths would be inversely correlated with DUI and DUP; and families of patients with a short DUI/DUP would have greater family strengths than those of patients with a long DUI/DUP.
Family strengths (including pride and accord dimensions), DUI and DUP were assessed in 34 African Americans hospitalized for first-episode psychosis and their respective 34 family members most involved in initiating care.
The total score of the Family Strengths scale and the accord subscale score were significantly inversely correlated with both DUI and DUP, although the correlation between the pride subscale score and DUI/DUP was not as strong and failed to reach statistical significance. Similarly, the family members of patients with a short DUI/DUP had higher family strength scores than those of patients with a long DUI/DUP.
Given the dearth of research on the functioning of families beginning to initiate care for individuals with first-episode psychosis, it is imperative to further clarify the role family characteristics may play in understanding treatment delay (DUI/DUP) and in the development of preventive interventions to facilitate early intervention for at-risk populations.
有证据表明，治疗延迟（以未治疗疾病持续时间（DUI）和未治疗精神病持续时间（DUP）表示）可能是原发性精神病障碍早期病程的一个潜在有力决定因素。然而，关于治疗延迟预测因素的研究才刚刚开始。迄今为止，在首发精神病中，几乎没有关于家庭功能与治疗延迟之间关系的实证数据。在这项研究中，假设家庭优势与 DUI 和 DUP 呈负相关；DUI/DUP 较短的患者的家庭优势大于 DUI/DUP 较长的患者。
评估了 34 名因首发精神病住院的非裔美国人及其各自的 34 名最积极参与启动治疗的家庭成员的家庭优势（包括自豪和和谐维度）、DUI 和 DUP。
家庭优势量表的总分和和谐子量表得分与 DUI 和 DUP 均呈显著负相关，尽管自豪子量表得分与 DUI/DUP 的相关性不那么强，且未达到统计学意义。同样，DUI/DUP 较短的患者的家庭成员的家庭优势评分高于 DUI/DUP 较长的患者。
鉴于针对开始为首发精神病患者提供治疗的家庭功能的研究匮乏，必须进一步阐明家庭特征在理解治疗延迟（DUI/DUP）和制定促进高危人群早期干预的预防干预措施方面可能发挥的作用。
