Creating a curriculum on psychosis: a pilot training programme with youth workers

Area of Science:

• Mental Health
• Psychiatry
• Public Health Education

Background:

• Early intervention in psychosis is crucial for improving patient outcomes.
• Public education initiatives can reduce treatment delays.
• Youth workers are key figures in early detection and support for young people.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, implement, and validate an early intervention in psychosis curriculum for youth workers.
• To enhance youth workers' capacity for early identification and support of psychosis.
• To assess the impact of training on youth workers' competencies and attitudes towards psychosis.

Main Methods:

• A 1-day workshop training intervention on early intervention in psychosis was delivered.
• Objective and self-perceived competencies were measured pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at 3-month follow-up.
• Social distancing attitudes towards individuals with psychosis were assessed.

Main Results:

• The training significantly improved psychosis symptom recognition and vignette-based problem-solving skills (P < 0.05).
• Participants showed enhanced ability to provide advice on help-seeking behavior (P < 0.001) and reported higher self-perceived competencies (P < 0.001).
• A significant reduction in social distancing from individuals with psychosis was observed (P < 0.001), with sustained effects at 3-month follow-up.

Conclusions:

• The developed training curriculum effectively improved youth workers' skills in recognizing psychosis and advising on help-seeking.
• The intervention led to a significant and sustained reduction in social distancing behaviors among youth workers.
• This training program represents a viable strategy for enhancing early intervention in psychosis through public education.