Detecting early signs of psychosis among rural youth

June 01, 2007

More than 100 delegates from throughout NSW have gathered at the University of New England to develop strategies for the early detection of psychotic illness in young people from rural communities.

Hunter New England Health (HNEH) and UNE have combined forces to organise the "Focus on Psychosis" forum, being held on Thursday 31 May and Friday 1 June.

One of the conveners of the forum, Rhonda Wilson from HNEH, said it had brought together a wide range of health and community workers. Ms Wilson, a Clinical Nurse Specialist who is the Early Psychosis Officer for HNEH, said psychosis among young people in rural areas often went undetected and untreated for longer than among their city counterparts.

"People between the ages of about 18 and 24 who live in rural areas face particular conditions that can trigger, exacerbate, and prolong mental illness," she said. "These can include a lack of appropriate educational opportunities, and a social environment in which people are inclined to overlook (or 'cover up') a young person's antisocial behaviour in the belief that they are helping them. This can extend the period during which a psychotic illness goes undetected and can lead, in some cases, to increasingly serious psychotic episodes and chronic mental illness."

One of the keynote speakers – Dr Anthony Harris, a Senior Lecturer in Psychological Medicine at the University of Sydney – agreed with Ms Wilson that the immediate priority was to "raise awareness, among rural health and community workers, of the early signs of psychosis". "The earlier the treatment, the better the outcome," he added.

Dr Harris said that, although Australia was leading the world in the early detection of psychosis, there were still difficulties in rural areas because of "a lack of services and psycho-social treatments". "The treatment of psychosis needs to be multi-modal," he explained, "including psychological and family-based treatments as well as medication. Health workers need to understand that their psychological and social interventions are an essential part of the treatment package."

The "Focus on Psychosis" forum includes five keynote sessions presented by experts in early psychosis, three workshop sessions designed to integrate theory into practice, and a final panel session for delegates' input.

Media contact: Rhonda Wilson on 0428 618 680 or Leon Braun (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3771. FOR A PHOTOGRAPH, contact Leon Braun on (02) 6773 3771.

Posted by Leon Braun at June 1, 2007 10:06 AM