Recovery style and outcome in first-episode psychosis

Our study aimed to investigate how recovery styles influence 12-month clinical outcome in first-episode psychosis patients. We hypothesised that patients who use an integrative recovery style would have better outcome than those who seal over. A total of 196 first-episode psychosis patients from the Early Psychosis Intervention Centre (EPPIC) participated in the study. Each patient was interviewed at stabilization of their acute psychotic episode, and then again 12 months later, using an Integration/Sealing-over measure. Our results suggest that recovery style may be a useful predictor of outcome. Integrative patients had better outcome and functioning at 12 months. These results were influenced by diagnosis and, unlike previous studies, recovery style changed over time, suggesting it was not a stable trait. The capacity for recovery style to change challenges the suggestion it is a personality trait and raises the need for psychoeducation and other psychological interventions that could improve outcome.