Jessica Sheringham Young people need flexible services, targeted to their values and aspirations. Early intervention measures play an important part of treating psychosis but that there is no quick-fix method of improving outcome. Access to treatment In the meeting, held at the Royal College of Physicians, Cliff Prior, NSF Director, voiced the concerns of NSF members that people with severe mental illness do not get access to the treatment they need. In particular, there is an '18-month delay between the onset of psychotic symptoms and access to treatment'.
Acute services can put people off treatment right at the beginning of their illness.
If the first experience of the mental health system is compulsory admission to an acute ward during a psychotic episode, treatment could remain a frightening and unpleasant idea. In the early years after diagnosis, he mentioned the importance of keeping people in treatment through providing education, treatment, mobile crisis management and living skills training. Getting away from the 'party line on psychosis' Accepting that you have a condition that may affect you for the rest of your life is difficult for anyone. It is particularly hard for young people, who see most of their lives ahead of them. According to Max Birchwood, it is important to tailor the message to suit the individual service users, and to listen to their experiences.