Heterogeneity of quality of life in the later stages of first-episode psychosis recovery

PURPOSE: First-episode psychosis (FEP) is characterised by wide heterogeneity in terms of symptom presentation and illness course. However, the heterogeneity of quality of life (QoL) in FEP is not well understood. We investigated whether subgroups can be identified using participants' responses on four QoL domains (physical health, psychological, social relationships, and environmental) 18-months into the recovery phase of FEP. We then examined the discriminant validity of these subgroups with respect to clinical, cognitive, and functioning features of FEP. METHOD: Demographic and clinical characteristics, QoL, cognition, and functioning were assessed in 100 people with FEP at the 18-month follow-up of a randomised controlled trial of Individual Placement Support, which aims to facilitate vocational recovery. QoL was measured using the World Health Organisation’s QoL-BRIEF. A two-stage clustering approach using Ward’s method and Squared Euclidean Distance with a k-means confirmation was conducted. Multinomial logistic regressions were used to establish external validity. RESULTS: Three QoL subgroups emerged: a ‘good’ subgroup with relatively high QoL across all domains (31%), an ‘intermediate’ subgroup with relatively low psychological QoL (48%) and a ‘poor’ subgroup with markedly low social relationship QoL (21%). Negative symptoms, depressive symptoms, social/occupational functioning, and social inclusion at follow-up predicted subgroup membership. Sensitivity analysis found similar results. CONCLUSION: Although some individuals with FEP have QoL comparable to individuals without mental ill health, QoL can remain concerningly low despite treatment efforts. Future research on interventions that target factors associated with poor QoL, such as low social inclusion, is required to counteract prolonged poor QoL in FEP. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11136-022-03277-x.