A 25-year long-term implementation review of an early intervention for psychosis programme in Hong Kong (part 1): planning and initial development

Early intervention for psychosis (EIP) programmes have been implemented in many locations. Many of these programmes have now been operational for over 2 decades. There have, however, been few long-term reviews of how EIP programmes fared over time. In this review of the EIP for Hong Kong, we assembled key individuals directly involved in the programme from its initiation 25 years ago. Many of the authors have remained with the programme for extended periods, serving in various capacities, including as psychiatrists, psychologists, programme designers, educators, researchers, communicators, and advocates. In part 1 of the review, we describe the processes and decision points that led to the programme's initiation and its operation during the first decade. The review reveals some unexpected salient factors impacting the development of the EIP. A positive ripple effect of EIP success, promoting other areas of mental health development, may eventually result in competition for the workforce with the EIP programme. The power of a suitable term for psychosis in public communication was paramount. As the digital age arrived, demands in public communication also necessitated agile charitable organisations working in concert with the public institutions. Collaborative relationships with academic units enable insights from data, such as the duration of untreated psychosis, which can inform timely programme development. A long-term narrative review of EIP can reveal a number of less intuitive factors that inform future planning for existing and new programmes.