Mental illness: Young people with psychosis who experience one to two years' delay in diagnosis and treatment experience more severe symptoms, are more likely to make a suicide attempt and more likely to be admitted to hospital, according to research.
This research, carried out by the Cluain Mhuire mental health services in Blackrock, Dublin, led to the development of Ireland's first service offering early detection and treatment of serious mental illness in young people last year. The Dublin East Treatment and Early Care Team (Detect) project, which first took referrals in February 2005, has seen 110 people to date.
"We do rapid assessments of the patients, within 72 hours of receiving a referral from community mental health service," said Niall Turner, project manager of Detect, which operates in the HSE Eastern Region. "There is evidence from Canada, Australia and other countries that such services improve the chances of recovery by up to 50 per cent."
Following diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder or a drug/substance induced psychosis, patients and their families are offered a variety of services, including group psychological therapies, carer education programmes for family members and psychosocial programmes of rehabilitation and vocational training.
Psychosis affects 3 per cent of the population and usually develops in late adolescence/
early adulthood. The symptoms vary but include delusions, hallucinations, disorganised thinking and lack of motivation. Secondary difficulties often develop including disrupted education and employment, relationship problems, substance misuse, depression and suicide.
"These young people are a high-risk group and are 20 times more likely to take their own lives," Prof Eadbhard O'Callaghan, a psychiatrist with Cluain Mhuire, said yesterday.
However, many people who develop psychosis do recover and early diagnosis and intervention are deemed crucial to such recovery.
The new national mental health policy document, A Vision for Change, recommends the establishment of another early intervention pilot programme for young people with psychosis.
A HSE spokeswoman said yesterday that such a recommendation was being examined as part of the overall HSE response to the document.
