Reduction in Incidence of Hospitalizations for Psychotic Episodes Through Early Identification and Intervention

First hospital admissions for psychosis dropped by one-third among young residents of Portland, Maine, following the introduction of an aggressive early intervention program that involves the whole city. Since 2001, the Portland Identification and Early Referral program has trained more than 7,200 local physicians, school and college counselors, community mental health practitioners, and community agency staff to recognize youths at high risk for psychosis and refer them to family-aided assertive community treatment. The authors are currently testing the same system in six cities with more diverse populations.