Online Help May Encourage First-Episode Psychosis Treatment
The internet and social media may be useful tools for initiating earlier treatment in young people experiencing first-episode psychosis, according to a study published online in Psychiatric Services.
To investigate whether online platforms could play a possible role in decreasing the duration of untreated psychosis, researchers interviewed 112 participants, ages 15 through 35, using the Pathways to Care for Psychosis Questionnaire. The 81-item instrument is specifically designed to explore online activity during first-episode psychosis symptom emergence. Participants in the study had experienced first-episode psychosis within the previous 2 years.
Some 90% of participants reported daily use of the internet and social media during symptom emergence. Three-quarters responded favorably to the possibility of receiving mental health support online. Overall, the internet was the most used resource during symptom emergence, according to participants.
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While 19% of respondents said they shared concerns about emerging symptoms on social media, researchers found participants waited an average 9 months before sharing symptoms with anyone. They emphasized the potentially devastating consequences of living with untreated psychosis.
“The internet and social media may prove to be critical resources for expediting help seeking and facilitating treatment initiation among prospective patients with first-episode psychosis,” a Psychiatric News Alert quoted from the study. “These technologies provide opportunities to diminish barriers to accessing services by reaching individuals earlier in the course of treatments that meet their needs.”
—Jolynn Tumolo
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