Improving our health by translating research evidence into local NHS practice

Theme 3

Early detection and interventions in psychosis

Theme Lead
Professor Max Birchwood, Professor of Mental Health, University of Birmingham

A mismatch between the demand and supply of effective services is a constant risk for patients with severe mental health disease because of the nature of the disease and its propensity to fluctuate. Mental health services and research have focussed on methods to maximise the use of effective treatment, such as family therapy, case management and assertive outreach. Research in Birmingham has contributed to the concept of the self-perpetuating nature of some mental illness and there is evidence that early treatment is not only ‘humane’ but also has a permanent and beneficial effect on prognosis. More