Benefits of Early Intervention

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REAL LIFE STORY:
I am a huge supporter of EPI because I know I owe my current life to them. I have recently passed my 5-year mark of being relapse-free and these past years have been some of the best of my life.

Brent, youth

Early intervention for psychosis seeks to limit the negative impact that psychosis may have on a person’s life and to ensure optimal recovery. A whole set of specialized early psychosis treatments and services have been developed that are based on scientific evidence of their usefulness. These treatments and services aim to:

  • Provide treatment as quickly as possible to reduce the length of time psychosis remains untreated
  • Limit the suffering and negative effects of psychotic symptoms
  • Facilitate a rapid recovery
  • Provide age-appropriate supports that minimize disruption to the young person’s life and enable them to more successfully meet the developmental challenges of youth and young adulthood
  • Support individuals in the pursuit of their academic, vocational and social goals
  • Decrease negative impact of psychosis on families and engage with them throughout the course of treatment
  • Achieve the best short and long term outcomes possible
  • Lower risk of relapse and the need for hospitalization
  • Preserve and develop psychosocial skills, family and social supports
  • Reduce associated problems such as depression and substance use problems
  • Promote recovery, stability, self-determination and personal fulfilment

Did You Know
DID YOU KNOW?
Early and appropriate treatment leads to the best long term outcomes.

For all psychotic disorders, the better a person does over the short term, the better the long-term outcome.

To learn more about early intervention in psychosis go to the Resources section and read the BC Standards and Guidelines.