A qualitative evaluation of a regional Early Psychosis Service 3 years after its commencement

Abstract

The choice of service model, inadequate consultation with stakeholders and inadequate promotion of the service contributed to its failure to reach early expectations. Because of these and other issues, including difficulties distinguishing between early psychosis and non-psychosis, a decision was made to restructure youth services and a separate youth mental health service, which incorporated the Early Psychosis Service function, was established.

Systematic review of the evidence for service models delivering early intervention in psychosis outside the stand‐alone centre

“…This model switched to a specialist EI team model 3 years after inception, citing choice of the service model, poor engagement, inadequate consultation with stakeholders, isolation amongst the team workers and inadequate promotion of the service as some of the reasons for changing to a specialist youth model. 36 A paper describing the Canadian experience illustrates realworld application of EI. 26 As with the SAFE programme evaluation, this is an evaluation of EI in a real-world setting where the specialist EI model is not feasible because of geography and a lower Service model EI systematic review incidence of psychosis.…”

“…A ‘Hub and Spoke’ model in a mixed urban and rural region in Victoria was evaluated in a qualitative manner. This model switched to a specialist EI team model 3 years after inception, citing choice of the service model, poor engagement, inadequate consultation with stakeholders, isolation amongst the team workers and inadequate promotion of the service as some of the reasons for changing to a specialist youth model . A paper describing the Canadian experience illustrates real‐world application of EI .…”

Implementation and evaluation of a quality improvement project: carepaths for Early Psychosis Intervention Programmes in Northeastern Ontario

“…The amount of paperwork required was seen as overwhelming. Some clinicians were carrying a client load above the recommended ratio of 1:10–15 per clinician, and direct client work is their priority. This client load may be the result of having only one full‐time equivalent or less at the majority of the district sites.…”

Experiences of families who help young rural men with emergent mental health problems in a rural community in New South Wales, Australia

“…Evidence suggests that GPs are not able to act as an early source of help for a family/son with emergent psychosis, other than to write a prescription for medication or to suggest referral (Alexander & Fraser, 2008). GPs report that they have diffi culty in fi nding other clinicians to refer clients to within rural communities (Callaly et al, 2010). This apparently leads GPs to utilise more complex interventions such as hospitalisation (Alexander & Fraser, 2008).…”