Résumé
The effectiveness of early intervention programs for psychosis is well established, and case management has a central role in these programs by promoting acceptance of care, however knowledge of this practice is limited in France. The objective of the study is to evaluate the implementation of case management in French early intervention services (EIS). Method: this cross-sectional multicenter descriptive observational study was conducted using the PEPsy-CM check-list according guidelines and questionnaires administered to various health professionals working in EIS. Results: among participants, there was 77.4% were case managers, 11.3% doctors, and 11.3% health framework. Among the 41 case managers, 82.9% were nurses. 54.7% responders received specific training about case management for early psychosis, and they used and updated significantly more an individualized therapeutic plan model in accordance with recommendations. 50.9% of case managers used specific and validated psychoeducation tools. 94.3% made ≥2 contacts per week in the acute phase and 66% preferred visits outside the office. Conclusion: the study highlights the responsiveness of professionals and their commitment in the field, despite difficulties in traceability, but also a lack of monitoring of clinical and functional outcomes. This seems to be linked to the lack of training and resources such as medical and nursing staff time. The lack of multidisciplinary in case manager teams also reflects the difficulties in changing usual care models and integrating other professions within EIS such as social workers or peer support workers.