A recent study published by the American Psychiatric Association shows that young people who began treatment within 14 days of being diagnosed with first-episode psychosis were less likely to deliberately harm themselves. Psychosis is a condition of the mind where a person loses contact with reality.
The researchers looked at over 6,300 patients aged 15 to 24 they found three percent of those who initiated treatment deliberately harmed themselves compared to nearly five percent who did not get help.
During a psychotic episode, a person may have trouble understanding what’s real and what’s not. There are about 100,000 new cases of psychosis in the US each year.
It typically begins in a person’s late teens and mid-twenties with symptoms like trouble concentrating, paranoid ideas, decline in self-care, or social withdrawal.
If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, substance use or a mental health crisis please call or text 988. Trained counselors are available for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
