Benefits of early intervention in young people with bipolar disorder

Author(s):  
Aswin Ratheesh ◽  
Patrick D McGorry
2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-43
Author(s):  
P. Power

Bipolar disorder (BPD) essentially has its onset during adolescence and early adulthood. It has the capacity to be highly disruptive, dislocating individuals from their normal developmental trajectory and potentially causing significant long-term co-morbidity and chronicity. At a societal level the burden created is greater than schizophrenia. This is not helped by the very substantial delays in its diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Thus, there is a clear rationale for intervening earlier and at a younger age. However, the field of early intervention in BPD is in its infancy. One approach that conceptually provides a basis for early intervention is the Clinical Staging Model (used widely in general medicine). This article outlines how this model helps in an understanding of the emerging stages of BPD. It also summarises the interventions that might be appropriately introduced if a person progresses from an early to a late stage of the illness. Early intervention has a well-established record in psychotic disorders. If it can be realised for BPDs, then it may hold out hope of better outcomes for the next generation of young people at risk.


2021 ◽  
pp. 135910452199417
Author(s):  
Rosie Oldham-Cooper ◽  
Claire Semple

There is building evidence that early intervention is key to improving outcomes in eating disorders, whereas a ‘watch and wait’ approach that has been commonplace among GPs and other healthcare professionals is now strongly discouraged. Eating disorders occur at approximately twice the rate in individuals with type 1 diabetes compared to the general population. In this group, standard eating disorder treatments have poorer outcomes, and eating disorders result in a particularly high burden of morbidity. Therefore, our first priority must be prevention, with early intervention where disordered eating has already developed. Clinicians working in both eating disorders and diabetes specialist services have highlighted the need for multidisciplinary team collaboration and specific training, as well as improved treatments. We review the current evidence and future directions for prevention, identification and early intervention for eating disorders in children and young people with type 1 diabetes.


2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 176-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josephine Loftus ◽  
Bruno Etain ◽  
Jan Scott

SummaryWe offer a contemporary review of studies of the offspring of parents with bipolar disorder and explore the clinical characteristics of these populations. We discuss how different methodological approaches may influence study findings and may explain some of the heterogeneity in the results reported. We also highlight some of the environmental risk factors that may increase the likelihood of transition from an ‘at-risk’ or high-risk state to bipolar disorder. Last, we briefly discuss the implications of study findings for early intervention strategies and comment on such issues as genetic counselling and primary and early secondary prevention programmes.


2011 ◽  
Vol 62 (8) ◽  
pp. 882-887 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Lester ◽  
Max Marshall ◽  
Peter Jones ◽  
David Fowler ◽  
Tim Amos ◽  
...  

2003 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 414-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.J.R. Power ◽  
R.J. Bell ◽  
R. Mills ◽  
T. Herrman-Doig ◽  
M. Davern ◽  
...  

Background: Young people with early psychosis are at particularly high risk of suicide. However, there is evidence that early intervention can reduce this risk. Despite these advances, first episode psychosis patients attending these new services still remain at risk. To address this concern, a program called LifeSPAN was established within the Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre (EPPIC). The program developed and evaluated a number of suicide prevention strategies within EPPIC and included a cognitively oriented therapy (LifeSPAN therapy) for acutely suicidal patients with psychosis. We describe the development of these interventions in this paper. Method: Clinical audit and surveys provided an indication of the prevalence of suicidality among first episode psychosis patients attending EPPIC. Second, staff focus groups and surveys identified gaps in service provision for suicidal young people attending the service. Third, a suicide risk monitoring system was introduced to identify those at highest risk. Finally, patients so identified were referred to and offered LifeSPAN therapy whose effectiveness was evaluated in a randomised controlled trial. Results: Fifty-six suicidal patients with first episode psychosis were randomly assigned to standard clinical care or standard care plus LifeSPAN therapy. Forty-two patients completed the intervention. Clinical ratings and measures of suicidality and risk were assessed before, immediately after the intervention, and 6 months later. Benefits were noted in the treatment group on indirect measures of suicidality, e.g., hopelessness. The treatment group showed a greater average improvement (though not significant) on a measure of suicide ideation. Conclusions: Early intervention in psychosis for young people reduces the risk of suicide. Augmenting early intervention with a suicide preventative therapy may further reduce this risk.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. ii-iv
Author(s):  
Kelly Allen ◽  
Chris Boyle

School belonging is generally regarded as a student's sense of affiliation or connection to his or her school. Anyone who has personally navigated the sometimes torturous terrain of secondary school is able to have some level of direct understanding of the importance that belonging, fitting in, and identifying with a school holds for most people. Educators and practitioners often work with young people who feel that they do not belong to the school community, in which they attend. An absence of belonging can manifest itself in mental health concerns, school attrition, and risk taking behaviours. Opportunities for early intervention through fostering school belonging are born from a greater understanding and awareness of what school belonging is and how it is contextualised and fostered. This special issue aims to place a focus on school belonging and highlight it as a significant social issue of our time.


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