DUP is the time from the emergence of first psychotic symptom to the commencement of adequate antipsychotic treatment. Psychopathological and sociocultural factors influence patient's treatment seeking behavior. Better understanding of DUP could help in development of improved therapeutic strategies and public health initiatives. Emphasis on early detection of psychosis and reduction of DUP has led to a huge interest in pathways to care.

To understand the differences in baseline demographics, presentation, care-pathways and DUP in ethnically diverse population of Lancashire, UK.

Our cross-sectional study involved a subset analysis of National EDEN data for Blackburn and Preston in Lancashire.

Of the 183 patients, 78% were Whites and rest belonged to BME population. Median DUP was 188 days. Whites were significantly younger at onset of both non-specific symptoms and psychosis and at acceptance into EIS. Whites were significantly less likely than non-whites to be married, more likely to be in paid work and to have used illicit drugs. There were no significant differences with respect to other demographics/delays in help seeking or DUP. Non-White group had shorter DUP of 95 days (but not statistically significant, P = 0.060).

Better understanding of mental illness and local services in White patients could have led to early help seeking. Having a supportive family may have promoted early help seeking and thus shorter DUP in BME group. Further studies are needed exploring socioenvironmental variables, substance misuse and knowledge of local psychiatric services amongst the BME population and the influence of these variables on DUP.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.