Contrary to the cultural narrative, there exists a supportive community that encourages young people to handle their psychological condition.
Matters of hallucinations, inconsistent thinking and sudden changes in behaviour are few of the early symptoms of psychosis that can be very difficult to understand. This psychological condition tends to afflict those in their teens or early 20s.
Psychosis is a condition misunderstood by many due to its symptoms, but if identified sooner, treatment is possible. According to Simon Dodd, the headspace National Clinical Adviser, early intervention could not only give the best chance for recovery time but also the quality of recovery itself.
Dodd affirms the crucial importance of GP in identifying psychosis among young people and because of this, he intends to direct GPs towards the resources provided by Headspace. It is a service provider specifically designed for mental health issues for young people ages 12-25 – the age when psychosis could greatly affect an individual.
They recently released a checklist that could allow GPs and other health professionals in identifying the early symptoms of the psychological condition. Symptoms include illusions, changes in thinking and the like.
Mr. Dodd also highlighted the availability of services that Headspace can offer for patients with early symptoms of psychosis.
Since 2018, the Federal Government has funded the Headspace Early Psychosis Program (HEPP) with support from Orygen, the National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health.
HEPP is scattered in six core sites and 14 locations to those sites that can be found in each state except for Tasmania. This allows the visibility and accessibility of the program for the youth of the country.
With this, Mr. Dodd recommends GPs to coordinate with their local centres for the services that can be provided. Coordination with Headspace and youth that needs assistance even before a GP referral would be preferred.
HEPP services usually involve the participation of the family of the patient and such participation is encouraged because engagement with the patient is necessary for complete recovery.
This gives HEPP its holistic impression because it necessitates the involvement of immediate family that is normally, the closest group to the patients with psychosis.
Mr. Dodd still recognised the importance of medication and psychotherapy for the treatment of hallucinations, delusions and thought disorder but still affirms that the functional recovery for the negative symptoms demands more work and involvement.
The latter aspect of the treatment greatly involves family intervention and not only medication.
Psychosis can be treated early as long as it can be diagnosed sooner. It is only the right support from the GPs that could contribute largely to the recovery of young people.
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