The Psychosis Response Guide: How to Help Young People in Psychiatric Crises

Approaching the issue of psychosis from a staged, public health approach has momentum nationally. How to understand and intervene in the early stages is a compelling challenge. This book is a comprehensive, readable resource for teachers, physicians, and others to help them understand this important issue.

Ken Duckworth, MD, Medical Director, National Alliance on Mental Illness

In recent years, there has been increasing attention given to young people with emerging psychotic illness, both in media coverage of current events as well as in policies and movements toward providing specialized services to this vulnerable population. This concise, accessible guide for helping professionals without training in psychosis intervention is a quick reference for identifying and intervening with a person experiencing a first psychotic episode. It guides helping professionals in how to identify a possible psychotic episode, how to interact compassionately and effectively with the individual, and how to make appropriate referrals toward proper treatment.

Free of jargon and unfamiliar medical terminology, this how-to resource offers clear guidelines for detecting possible psychosis, advice on how to provide immediate care for the at-risk individual, and specific actions to take depending on the severity of the crisis. With a focus on adolescents and young adults the most at-risk population for initial psychotic episodes the book offers quick-access information for a wide range of professionals in educational and community health settings, including school personnel, counselors, social workers, law enforcement professionals, and primary care providers. Also included is a brief review of research supporting early intervention strategies. This guide is valuable as a reference for immediate access to information or can be read from start to finish to increase knowledge and preparedness for a variety of situations.

Key Features: Addresses a critical need for early identification of young people who are experiencing a first psychotic episode and describes how to help them Presents information clearly, succinctly, and accessibly for nonspecialists Stresses the need to make appropriate referrals to qualified individuals Written for a wide range of helping and other professionals in educational and community settings Authored by clinicians highly experienced in working with individuals with psychosis "