PIENSA: Development of an Early Intervention Program for Adolescents With Early-Onset Psychosis and Their Families

Interest in the effectiveness of psychological interventions in patients with psychosis has increased in the last 2 decades, and early intervention programs are increasingly common. PIENSA (Programa de Intervencion en Psicosis Adolescente; Intervention Program for Adolescent Psychosis) is a clinical program and pilot study based on previous research into the efficacy of early intervention in preventing relapse and improving outcome in patients with first-episode psychosis. We describe a psychoeducational intervention designed for adolescents with early-onset psychosis and their parents. The intervention is adapted from McFarlane's Multiple Family Therapy model to our setting and population (adolescents treated in the Spanish public health system). It consists of 2 stages: an individual stage comprising 3 sessions and a subsequent group stage comprising 12 sessions. The total program lasts for 1 academic year (9 months). We present the design of our program and our preliminary experience in a Child and Adolescent Unit in Spain.