The impact of the duration of untreated psychosis on short- and long-term outcome in schizophrenia

During the past decade, many studies on first-episode schizophrenia have revealed that the duration of untreated psychosis is between one and two years on average. Moreover, findings from these studies suggested that a long duration of untreated psychosis might lead to neurotoxic processes, manifested as persistent morbidity, treatment resistance, and clinical deterioration. These findings have resulted in a growing interest in the early detection and treatment of psychotic disorders.