OVERVIEW
•Early intervention services work with you if you are experiencing a first episode of psychosis.
•Psychosis is a term used if you experience a break with reality. This can include having unusual beliefs or seeing or hearing things that other people do not.
•If you have psychosis and do not get help for a long time, you may have more episodes of psychosis in the future.
•Early intervention services have been set up so people can get help sooner and try to prevent these problems.
•An early intervention team will be made up of staff such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, community psychiatric nurses, social workers and support workers.
•Your GP can refer you to your local early intervention team. In some areas, you may be able to refer yourself or your friends or family could refer you.

Who is intervention for

Who is early intervention for?

Early intervention teams treat and support people who are experiencing psychosis for the first time.

Psychosis is a medical term. If you have psychosis, you might see or hear things, or hold unusual beliefs, that other people do not. It is not a condition in itself, but more a set of symptoms present in conditions such as
•schizophrenia
•bipolar disorder
•schizoaffective disorder

If you have symptoms of psychosis, medication (known as antipsychotics) and cognitive behavorial therapy (CBT) can help.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that if you are experiencing psychosis for the first time, you should be offered early intervention services, no matter how old you are. You get support from an early intervention team for a limited amount of time. This is usually three years, but can be longer.

If you have psychosis and do not get treatment for a long time, you are more likely to develop longer-term problems. This can include becoming unwell again with more episodes of psychosis and also problems with your relationships or being able to work or study. Early intervention services were set up so that people could get help for psychosis earlier and to try and prevent these problems.