Early Intervention in Psychiatric Disorders Across Cultures

Evidence indicates a correlation between early intervention and improved response in psychiatric disorders. Yet the majority of evidence is from high-income countries, and there is a lack of evidence and resources on the impact of early intervention across cultures and in low- and middle-income countries.

Early Intervention in Psychiatric Disorders across Cultures aims to bridge this gap by focusing on the evidence and methods of intervention in less affluent countries. It covers mood disorders, personality disorders, addictions, and other psychiatric conditions, whilst most research has focused on psychoses and bipolar disorder. Over 17 chapters, this resource guides the reader through an array of approaches to early intervention, from brain imaging and available care pathways, to cultural and societal factors.

Part of the Oxford Cultural Psychiatry series, this resource offers readers a picture of the current health care pathways available as well as social, cultural, and ethical considerations to apply in practice.

Eric Y. H. Chen, Head and Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong,Antonio Ventriglio, Psychiatrist, Department of Mental Health, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy,Dinesh Bhugra, Emeritus Professor of Mental Health and Cultural Diversity, Health Service & Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK

Professor Eric Y. H. Chen is Chi-Li Pao Foundation Chair Professor in Psychiatry at the University of Hong Kong. He has been leading the development of the early intervention for psychosis in Hong Kong (the EASY program is one of the first comprehensive early psychosis programs in Asia). Under his leadership, the HKU Psychosis Research Unit (PSI) has shown that early intervention produces better long-term outcome for patients with psychotic disorders. Professor Chen and his team has also been studying maintenance therapy in psychosis, demonstrating that after a first episode psychosis, early medication discontinuation and relapse may contribute to adverse long term outcome. Professor EChen and his team has also been studying brain mechanisms in schizophrenia, particularly language and cognitive processes. Professor Chen is one of the leaders in the field of early intervention.

Dr Antonio Ventriglio is a psychiatrist working at the Department of Mental Health, and Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.


Professor Dinesh Bhugra is Emeritus Professor of Mental Health and Cultural Diversity at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London. Past President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. President of the World Psychiatric Association for a three year term, 2014-2017. Non-Executive Director Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust (special interest in BAME needs and cultural mediation).

1. Introduction, Eric Y. H. Chen, Antonio Ventriglio, and Dinesh Bhugra
2. Early interventions to prevent stigmatization and its consequences, Norman Sartorius
3. The role of culture in early interventions, Antonio Ventriglio and Dinesh Bhugra
4. Brain changes in the early course of schizophrenia, Matcheri Kesavan, Paulo Lizano, Jaya Padmanabhan
5. Brain Changes in psychosis: Understanding their significance as the basis for better prevention, Peter Falkai, Andrea Schmitt, Moritz Rossner, Thomas Schulze, Nikolaos Koutsouleris
6. Detecting the first signs of emerging psychosis, Frauke T. K. Schultze-Lutter
7. Are ethnic differences in pathways to care for psychosis in England reducinga An analysis of two population based studies of first episode psychosis in south London, UK., Sherifat Oduola, Craig Morgan, and Tom K. J. Craig
8. Early intervention for psychosis: perspective after 15 years of development, Eric Y. H. Chen, Sherry Kit-wa Chan, Wing-chung Chang, Christy Lai-ming Hui, Edwin Ho-ming Lee, Tak-lam Lo, Catherine Shiu-yin Chong, Wai-song Yeung, Roger Man-kin Ng, Eric Fuk-chi Cheung, Dicky Wai-sau Chung, Lap-tak Poon
9. Experiences and lessons from the Singapore Early Psychosis Intervention Programme, Swapna Verma, Lye Yin Poon, Helen Lee, Siow Ann Chong
10. Early psychosis initiative in Japan: Challenges and opportunities, Masafumi Mizuno, Naomi Inoue, Takahiro Nemoto, Naohisa Tsujino, Naoyuki Katagiri, Tomoyuki Funatogawa
11. Family involvement in first episode psychosis: The Indian scenario, Greeshma Mohan, R.Padmavathi, Srividya Iyer, Megan Pope, Ashok Malla and R.Thar
12. From principles to practice: Translating the philosophy of early intervention to individuals with emerging bipolar disorders, Jan Scott
13. Early intervention in Bipolar Disorders: Setting the stage from mechanisms to models, Gin S. Malhi, Grace Morris, Amber Hamilton, and Tim Outhred
14. Early intervention in Personality Disorders, John M. Oldham
15. Early detection and timely intervention for borderline personality disorder, Andrew Chanen
16. Early intervention in underage drinking: preliminary results in Brazil, Arthur Guerra de Andrade , Erica Rosanna Siu, Carla Dalbosco, Telma Tiemi Schwindt Diniz Gomes, Paulina do Carmo Arruda Vieira Duarte
17. Where next for Early Intervention Programmesa, Dinesh Bhugra, Antonio Ventriglio, and Eric Y. H. Chen