EFFECTIVE THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS TO PROMOTE RECOVERY FROM FIRST PSYCHOTIC EPISODE AND MINIMIZE ITS RELAPSE: A QUALITATIVE STUDY FROM PAKISTAN: First Psychotic Episode

Rehana Khalil; Zahid Naeem; Nazia Jameel; Uroosa Talib

doi:10.51253/pafmj.v71i5.3139

Authors

Rehana Khalil Unaizah College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Zahid Naeem Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, Islamabad Pakistan
Nazia Jameel Baqai Medical University, Karachi Pakistan
Uroosa Talib Karwan-e-Hayat Psychiatric Care and Rehabiliation Center, Karachi Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51253/pafmj.v71i5.3139

Keywords:

Episode, Interventions, Psychotic, Qualitative study, Recovery, Relapse, Therapeutic

Abstract

Objective: To explore effective therapeutic strategies to promote recovery from first episode of psychosis and minimize its relapse.

Study Design: Qualitative study.

Place and Duration of Study: Karwan-e-Hayat Psychiatric Care and Rehabilitation Center, Karachi, from Mar to Jun 2019.

Methodology: Seventeen participants were recruited through purposive sampling and data was collected through in-depth interviews. Qualitative thematic content analysis was done through generation of a coding scheme.

Results: Almost half i.e., 8 (47%) had experience of 10 years, while 7 (41%) had 15 years’ experience, and 2 (12%) had 30 years’ experience as psychiatrists. Analysis of the interview transcripts revealed three main themes related to psychiatrists’ views on interventions for first episode of psychosis to prevent relapse: (1) duration of first episode of psychosis (2) compliance and rate of recovery after first episode (3) effective interventions for first episode psychosis.

Conclusion: The effective interventions to promote recovery from first psychosis episode and minimize its relapse included multiple combinations of integrated stage-specific approaches necessitating antipsychotics (pharmacological) and psychosocial support (non-pharmacological).