EIP Meaning

In this article, we’ll briefly describe “EIP Meaning”, Early intervention services, Early intervention teams, Clinical definition of Psychosis and Problems and Confidentiality.

EIP MEANING:

EIP stands for Early Intervention in Psychosis.

An Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) service has a staff from different backgrounds, including psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, and psychologists.

What are EIP services?

Early intervention in psychosis (EIP) services works with the patient when he/she suffers from an episode of psychosis for the very first time.

They may call it to be the ‘first episode’.

In some countries, EIP services are for people who are under 35 years of age.

Psychosis refers to the state of mind in which the possession has unusual beliefs or experiences that others do not, like seeing people or hearing voices.

As soon as the first psychotic episode occurs, it is important to get help immediately.

The sooner the help, the more chances of getting better are there. EIP services try their best in giving their help as soon as possible.

The EIP service will have psychiatrists, psychologists, community psychiatric nurses, social workers, and support workers.

Sometimes the general practitioner refers to the EIP service but sometimes the primary caretakers or family members get the insight of something wrong and refer their patients themselves to the EIP services.

ABOUT EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES:

Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) services are there to support the one who has ‘psychosis’ for the very first time.

Psychosis is a term that doctors use when they see some kind of abnormality in the patient, like thought disorders, perceptual disturbances, and unusual beliefs, etc. 

These symptoms are common in people who are diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizo-affective disorder, and bipolar disorder.

Sometimes it occurs because of the influence of drugs as well, the term is known as substance-induced psychosis and therefore, sometimes because of drugs as well one can receive EIP service as well.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends early intervention services to be open for people of all ages.

But in some countries and in some services people under the age of 35 only get help.

EARLY INTERVENTION TEAMS:

There are staff members in EIP services from different backgrounds, but most of the staff members are from the mental health department or social care backgrounds which include psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, and psychologists.

  • Care Coordinators:

Care coordinators are people who are responsible for organizing and monitoring one’s care.

A person normally sees our get in contact with his/her care coordinator than other staff.

Care coordinators can be nurses, social workers, psychiatric nurses or occupational therapists.

  • Psychiatrists:

Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in mental health.

They are authorized to diagnose a mental illness, have a license to prescribe medications and recommend treatment.

  • Social Workers:

Social workers are trained in giving practical help with all social needs.

In the case of psychosis, the help would include giving freewheel support and advice and sometimes financial help as well.

  • Community Psychiatric Nurses (CPNs)

CPNs are mental health nurses who work in the community.

They primarily help and support in taking medications, managing one’s health and offer treatment in the community.

Psychologists are specialized in understanding people’s thoughts and feelings affecting their behavior.

They are specialized in psychological testing which helps in diagnosing the type of psychotic disorder and then they can offer psychological therapies after some stabilization in the situation with medications.

They normally are not medically trained and therefore they can not prescribe medications.

  • Occupational Therapists:

Occupational therapists are trained in helping people in overcoming everyday tasks or help in with activities of daily living so that these people can be as independent as possible.

Other Early Intervention Team Professionals:

Other people give their services such as managers, support workers and administrators.

All the staff members work together as a team and have meetings to discuss the progress of the people they support.

These meetings are known as ‘multi-disciplinary meetings’.

CLINICAL DEFINITIONS OF PSYCHOSIS:

  1. First Episode Psychosis:

First episode psychosis is used to describe the first time psychotic disorder a person is diagnosed with.

The psychotic disorder is diagnosed when a person shows symptoms of perceptual disorders, thought disorders, mood, and behavior is altered.

Not all individuals are the same and therefore, their symptoms also vary.

Cote clinical symptoms are usually divided into ‘positive symptoms’ which include hallucinations and delusions and ‘negative symptoms‘ which include emotional apathy, lack of drive, social withdrawal, poverty of speech and self-neglect.

  1. At-risk mental states:

Before a person experience the psychotic disorder, they experience long term symptoms which describe as having an ‘at-risk mental state’

At-Risk Mental State (ARMS) include:

  • A more extended period of psychotic symptoms
  • An episode of psychosis lasting less than seven days
  • An extended period of very poor suicidal and cognitive functioning in the context of a family history of psychosis

How common is first-episode psychosis? 

The incidence rate shows an average incidence of psychosis in England is 31.7 per 100,000, although it varies significantly from one area to another, scoffing to age, sex, ethnicity, population density and social deprivation.

First episode psychosis occurs most commonly between late teens and late twenties.

What is the impact of not having timely access to effective treatment?

A long term psychosis untreated or poorly treated, increases service use and prior economic outcomes in both the short and long-term.

People who do not access effective treatment quickly is far more likely to experience poor physical health, social functioning, and occupational outcomes.

If psychosis is untreated or poorly treated, it can become a long-term psychosis with high levels of relapse. 

What are the benefits of EIP services?

  • Recovery from the first episode of psychosis is possible only with the right treatment at the right time from an EIP service that can go on to lead full and productive lives.
  • Evidence suggests that early treatment with therapeutic help and it may prevent at-risk mental states from relapse of psychosis.
  • CBT for psychosis has been found effective in reducing the chances of hospitalizations and it also has been seen as a positive effect on social functioning as well.

CARE PROGRAMME APPROACH:

Care program approach (CPA) is a framework that organizes one’s mental health care.

If one is on a CPA one should get a care plan and regular reviews, one should need a care coordinator who is responsible for care and support.

The care coordinator is already a member of the service.

PROBLEMS AND CONFIDENTIALITY:

When someone is with the Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) service, they find some difficulty in trusting and with confidentiality.

  • Care Coordinator:

If one has a care coordinator then one can inform then about any issues that are related to the early intervention in psychosis.

  • PALS:

If one is unhappy with the care, one should contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). PALS tries to help one with any mental health problems or questions one has.

  • Advocacy:

If one has some problems with the EIP or the care coordinator, then the people can use a community advocate for the help, though advocates are not part of the NHS.

  • Complain:

One can make a formal complaint if one is unhappy with his care and one can get help with this from one’s local NHS Complaints Advocacy Service.

  • What about confidentiality?

The Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) service needs one’s permission to share his information with other people, this also includes professionals and even family members and friends.

Only if the person is dangerous for himself or if there will some chances of committing suicide, then they can share information with other professionals or with family members or if there are court orders.

CONCLUSION:

In this blog, we’ve briefly described “EIP Meaning”, Early intervention services, Early intervention teams, Clinical definition of Psychosis and Problems and Confidentiality.

Please feel free to comment below or leave a suggestion, we appreciate your time.

CITATIONS:

rethink.org

National Institute For Health And Care Excellence

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