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Why is early intervention in psychosis important?
Psychosis can be a very debilitating condition for sufferers. It affects not only the way we think, but also our moods, decision making, social interactions and overall quality of life. Performance at school, college or work can also suffer a great deal. The average age at which psychosis strikes is 22, so these changes can often take place at a crucial stage in our transition from children to adults. It can sometimes take up to two years before someone suffering psychotic symptoms can get the treatment and support they deserve. There is a lot of evidence to suggest that the earlier a person receives treatment, the better the quality of life they can expect both in the immediate future and for the rest of their lives. Effective treatment provided early in the course of psychosis leads to a quicker and more complete recovery. Early intervention considerably reduces distress and trauma for young people and their families.
What does the Wirral Early intervention Team hope to achieve?
The team aims to detect psychosis as quickly as possible. The Wirral EIT has links with GP's, schools, colleges and several other organisations that deal with young people. Referrals to the team can come from people in a variety of positions that have contact with the young person. Having been referred to the team, a service user experiencing psychotic symptoms for the first time will receive effective support and help. This is provided by a team of professionals from a variety of backgrounds. The concept of "recovery" is of the utmost importance to the team, and underpins a lot of the work they do.
Another goal of the team is to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. By providing education and information, the team hopes to increase knowledge of the facts about psychosis, and combat the myths.
As this website will hopefully illustrate, the team tries to include its service users wherever and whenever possible. Several regular groups are held, and the impression one gets as a service user is that the team is actually listening to its users. Perhaps the best example of this is that, when the team recently took on new staff members, one of the service users took part in the interview process.
Who is the service for?
 Between the ages of 14 - 35
 residents of the Wirral catchment area, and
 thought to be experiencing their first psychotic episode
What are the early signs of psychosis?
 confused thoughts
 difficulty concentrating
 unusual beliefs
 changes in behaviour and/or mood
 changes in sleep and/or appetite
 difficulty relating to other people
 restlessness or irritability
 anxiety
It is possible that some of these things may be linked to recent stress, but if you are worried about yourself or someone you know, please contact the team for advice.
What can the team offer?
 education about psychosis
 help coping with your experiences
 space to talk things through
 support for both the individual and their family
(see here)
 support with education and employment
 assistance with benefits and housing
 help achieving your goals
 help and advice with medication
How is the team comprised?
 nurses
 social workers
 occupational therapists
 psychologists
 support workers
 doctors
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