Eligibility criteria will be those people whose disorders meet operational criteria for the WHO for first contact psychosis.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age 16-35 years

2. Resident within the trusts catchment areas

3. Absence of profound learning disability (IQ <50)

4. Presence of hallucinations, delusions, thought disorder, bizarre or disturbed behaviour, negative syndrome, mania or clinical suspicion of psychosis

5. No previous contact with psychiatric services for psychotic symptoms.

Exclusion Criteria:

Age under 14 or over 65. The lower age limit is specified by the Department of Health for future early intervention teams and psychosis is very rare below this age. Over 65, first episode psychosis is also rare and is dealt within separate services.

Children under16 will be included. Psychosis is rare under the age of 16. Nonetheless, when it does occur at this age, it runs a particularly severe course and the reasons for this are poorly understood. There is a particular necessity to understand the causes and outcomes of early onset psychosis.

Adults with mental illness will be included. All cases assessed will have a mental illness. A significant minority of persons with first episode psychosis will be detained in hospital under the Mental Health Act (1983) at some point. Previous experience (eg with the MRC SOCRATES trial of Lewis et al, 2000) suggests that despite their detention, most such persons have the ability to understand, retain and believe information given to them about research studies. Initial confirmation from RMO/Consultant Psychiatrists that the person is able to given informed consent will be sought in such cases.

Confidentiality of Personal Data

Individual personal identifiers, including initials, will not be included in the paper based case report forms, nor in the electronic statistical database. Participants will be assigned a 4 digit identification number. The anonymised paper based data will be held in a locked filing cabinet, inside a locked room away from the clinical setting. A paper copy will be held in a separate locked filing cabinet. Access to the filing cabinet will be limited to the local Research Assistant and local Principal Investigator. The electronic data will be entered in to a password protected database and comply with the Data Protection Act. The password will be available only to the local Research Assistant and Principal Investigator.