Analysing antipsychotic prescribing in first episode psychosis using electronic health record data

A substantial proportion of people who present with a first episode of psychosis will experience relapse. At the population level, factors such as illicit substance use and medication non-adherence are thought to predispose towards relapse in people with established psychotic disorders. However, less is known about the effectiveness of antipsychotic treatments in the first few years following the onset of a psychotic disorder and the relative benefits and harms between different antipsychotic treatments as data from interventional studies are often limited to a small number of therapies or relatively short follow-up period. In this study I aim to obtain EHR data from individuals presenting with their first psychotic episode to investigate the effects of antipsychotic therapy, rates and reasons for discontinuation or switching of antipsychotic treatment, and the relationship between antipsychotic treatment, clinical outcomes and psychopathology.