A new website developed by regional health authorities is bringing together services and tools from across B.C. to help families and young people experiencing psychosis access early assessment and treatment.
“Early intervention helps young people and families suffering from psychosis to learn coping tools and help them on their journey through life,” said Health Minister Terry Lake. “These supports follow through on our commitment to helping those living with mental illness be fully engaged in their community and with their families.”
The site, www.earlypsychosis.ca, delivers psychosis information from across the province right to the fingertips of youth and their families. Users can find services available in the Vancouver Coastal, Fraser, Island, Interior and Northern health authorities, and can also access toolkits for dealing with psychosis, a family coping booklet, and information on relapse prevention and stress management, among others. Downloads are available in a variety of languages including Punjabi, Urdu, Mandarin, Korean and German. In addition to information for families, clients and community supports like teachers and counsellors, the site also links to other mental health sites and personal stories.
“Being able to treat psychosis early is very important, since it usually starts during a very critical stage of a young person’s life,” added Laura Hansen, manager of mental health and addictions at VCH. “Adolescents and young adults are just starting to develop their own identity, form lasting relationships and make serious plans for their careers and futures. It’s important for a successful recovery so they can have a healthy, productive future.”
Approximately three per cent of people will experience a psychotic episode at some stage in their life, with the first episode most commonly occurring in adolescence or early adulthood. Psychosis is a serious condition where the brain has difficulty differentiating between fantasy and reality.
The site was developed by the B.C. Early Psychosis Intervention Advanced Practice Program, which is an ongoing collaboration between the Vancouver Coastal, Fraser, Island, Interior and Northern health authorities, the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Children and Family Development, and Early Psychosis Intervention service providers throughout the province.
