Introduction

General practitioners have a role in early identification, referral, monitoring and treatment of psychosis to reduce the risk of enduring psychosocial disability that is associated with schizophrenia. All people with developmental disability who experience psychotic symptoms for the first time should be referred urgently to a specialist mental health service for multidisciplinary assessment.

Early assessment of psychosis is particularly important given the high propensity for people with developmental disability to experience barriers and delays in medical and psychiatric diagnoses.