ABSTRACT
Objective
Early intervention in psychosis is associated with improved outcomes, yet prolonged duration of untreated psychosis remains a major barrier globally. Public health campaigns offer a promising strategy for promoting early detection and help-seeking, although findings on their effectiveness remain mixed. This scoping review examines the characteristics, strategies, and outcomes of psychosis public health campaigns published between 2008 and 2025, with particular attention to metrics that are used to evaluate campaign success.
Methods
Six databases were searched for peer-reviewed studies reporting outcomes of psychosis public health campaigns. Studies were included if they reported on campaign effectiveness and used a comparison condition. Data extraction focused on campaign characteristics, strategies, messages, target audiences, and outcomes.
Results
Nineteen studies describing 14 distinct campaigns met inclusion criteria. Campaigns varied widely in geographic scope, target audiences, duration, and messaging strategies. There was substantial heterogeneity in how duration of untreated psychosis was defined. Although some campaigns demonstrated significant reductions in overall duration of untreated psychosis, most showed mixed effects or improvements in subcomponents only. Campaigns employing multi-modal and sustained engagement strategies were more likely to report positive outcomes. Recent digital campaigns offered targeted outreach but showed inconsistent effects.
Conclusion
Findings highlight the need for standardized definitions of the duration of untreated psychosis construct and consideration of more proximal outcomes for a public health intervention. Future campaigns should incorporate digital strategies, stakeholder-informed messaging, and alternative success metrics—such as referral volume and service engagement—to more accurately capture impact and guide implementation efforts in diverse settings.