Thursday, August 28, 2003

A Canadian approach to early intervention in psychosis
An item in last week's Mental Health Notes (CMHA) - "Early assertive psychosis detection and intervention helps reduce remission rates, improve patients’ self-rated quality of life, and decrease their duration of untreated psychosis, according to a study of a Canadian program published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. The Prevention and Early Intervention Program for Psychoses (PEPP), established in 1997 in London, Ontario, provides clinical services in an early intervention and treatment setting. The Canadian authors of the study note that a major barrier to appropriate care is the difficulty of identifying early signs of psychosis. Treatment delays can also affect social functioning and quality of life."