Challenge of social reintegration after a first-episode psychosis

One of the main issues of early intervention in first-episode psychosis is to prevent social exclusion, or at least to seek to reduce it as soon as possible. The aim is not only symptom remission and relapse prevention, it is also to optimize the social and functional outcome of the illness. Social exclusion is not only one the disabling consequences of the illness, it is also, due to a negative circularity, an aggravating factor. Therefore, alongside the healthcare strategy aiming at the remission and relapse prevention, it will be useful to set up, at an early stage, a strategy aiming at maintaining or restoring social inclusion, and more generally to support the social recovery. We will specify the factors conditioning such prospects for recovery, and the variety of measures to support this strategy. (C) L'Encephale, Paris, 2013.