Search

Introduction: Jorvi Early psychosis Recognition and Intervention (JERI) - team at Helsinki University Central Hospital (HUCH) is an early detection and intervention team for adolescents at risk for psychosis. Objectives: The JERI team meets with adolescents at ages between 12–22 at school or at home together with their parents and with community co-worker, for example with social worker, teacher, nurse or GP, who has contacted the team for reason of unclear or undiagnosed mental health problems. Aims: The main purpose of JERI team is to identify the possible risk of psychosis by interview instruments and meet the client and family together with community co worker(s) to find a way to reduce stress. Methods: The model is based on idea of community and family oriented care and stress-vulnerability model of psychosis. The JERI hypothesis is that stress-reducing care where family and community co workers are involved could decrease pre-psychotic symptoms and increase functioning ability in adolescents at risk for psychosis. Results: As an example: A school nurse contacts JERI-team because of a schoolboy who has started to stay at home recently. His parents argue a lot, he is bullied at school and he has problems in school performance. The parents would be involved in discussions about the family situation, the school social worker about how to stop bullying and the teacher how to support the school performance despite of possible cognitive problems. Conclusions: Presented model seems to work according to clinical experience and an earlier follow-up study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]