Meta-analysis of medical and non-medical treatments of the prodromal phase of psychotic illness in at-risk mental states.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: there are now many existing studies which assess the treatments available for 'at risk mental states', as patients who are believed to be in the prodromal phase of psychotic illness are referred to. However, concerns regarding side effects of possible treatments remain. We here conduct a meta-analysis of the studies available up to October 2010. The aim of this study is to decide what would be the best treatment for 'at high risk patients'. RESULTS: all the available studies examining potential treatments during the prodromal phase of psychotic illness were collected. They all showed comparable efficacy, which reached statistical significance, excluding the one study using olanzapine, which in fact 'tended towards significance'. DISCUSSION: treatments appear promising but a balance needs to be kept between adverse events and effectiveness of preventing psychosis. CONCLUSION: it is necessary to search further for treatments in order to identify effective treatments with fewer adverse side effects in this phase of psychotic illness.