First episode psychosis and treatment delay--causes and consequences.

Introduction: According to the clinical perspective, early diagnosis of the prodromal phase and early treatment provision in the first episode of psychosis (FEP) is able to prevent or reduce morbidity. The main aim of this study is to inventory and analyze the most important causes of treatment delay from the perspective of patients, families and healthcare providers. The secondary aim is to point out the most important consequences of treatment delay.