Monday, May 16, 2005

The long road home: Families key to caring and recovery in first episode psychosis Article in the Spring 2005 issue of Cross Currents, published by Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health - "Early intervention is crucial to getting youth experiencing a first episode of psychosis on the path to recovery. A first psychotic episode (FPE) typically occurs in a person's teens or early 20s and may develop into bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. The incidence rate of FPE is estimated to be 15-20 cases per 100,000, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association. A large body of research has found that early intervention brings about timely treatment, accelerates recovery, preserves psychosocial skills and lowers the risk of relapse. Families play a key role in facilitating these positive outcomes..."  
  

Caring for the caregiver: Concurrent disorders pose unique challenges for families Article in the Spring 2005 issue of Cross Currents, published by Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health - "...A 2002 study in the Community Mental Health Journal found that people with concurrent disorders have more difficulty managing daily living tasks than people with a single disorder and that their caregivers spend more time in direct care, crisis intervention, creating structured activities and providing financial support. They also reported greater dissatisfaction with their family relationships, compared to people with a single diagnosis. What this translates into is a strong need for support for caregivers. This gaping necessity is exactly why the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto in partnership with Elmgrove Services at Brockville Psychiatric Hospital in Brockville, Ontario, is running the first study in Canada to examine how to best support these families in a group environment."