A first psychotic episode includes a wide range of disorders with different outcomes.

To study all patients with their first psychotic episode longitudinally in a circumscribed area in UAE.

The charts of all patients admitted to the psychiatric department of Al-Ain Hospital, in their first psychotic episode, and in their subsequent admissions – if applicable – were studied for 5 years starting from September 1997. Diagnoses of 161 patients were made using ICD-10 diagnostic criteria.

Of total of 161 patients, during their first admission: 69 were diagnosed as “acute psychotic disorder”, 35 as “manic episode”, 31 as “schizophrenia”, 16 were diagnosed as “depression with psychotic symptoms”, 3 as “drug induced psychosis”, one as “delusional disorder”, and 6 with no psychiatric diagnosis. Of the total 161 patients 42 were subsequently relapsed and re-admitted. Analysis of the diagnosis of these 42 patients revealed extensive change of diagnosis in most categories.

In the studied population, the majority of patients presenting in their first episode psychosis seemed to have a favorable outcome, whereas only a minority of them continued to have a relapsing illness.