RESEARCH WEEKLY: Coordinated Specialty Care Can Improve the Lives of Young Adults By Molly Vencel Coordinated specialty care for people with first episode psychosis can improve reported self-awareness and acceptance of mental illness, in addition to the symptoms associated with severe mental illness, according to research published in Psychiatric Services in October 2020. In the article, researchers from the University of South Florida and Westat, a Maryland based research corporation, analyzed data from 35 sites administering coordinated specialty care programs with funding from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Mental Health Block Grants. Coordinated specialty care is an evidence based treatment that uses a team of psychiatrists, social workers, case managers and other professionals to create a personalized recovery plan for people experiencing first episode psychosis. Previous research on coordinated specialty care found observable improvements in symptoms, employment and social engagement. Qualitative Results While many studies about psychiatric intervention programs focus on quantitative data, or data that is primarily numbers and objective evaluations, this study used qualitative methods. Qualitative methods involve detailed interviews with participants and analysis of the recurring themes participants discuss. During the interview, researchers asked 121 participants about three main areas: the changes they had noticed since starting the program, the importance of these changes and possible causes of change. Researchers then coded the interviews to find common themes among participants’ experiences. Half of participants reported that the change they noticed since starting the program was symptom improvement, the largest area of changes according to the results. This varied from decreased depression and less worry to reduced hallucinations, delusions and paranoia. Improved symptoms were the most important change to participants, according to researchers. Almost one-third (30%) of participants cited an increase in self-awareness and self-acceptance as a result of participating in coordinated specialty care. This was seen in statements from participants such as “it’s really helped me overall [to] accept my diagnosis.” Many participants also stated that they now had a firm commitment to fight the stigma against severe mental illness in their communities. Other reported changes included improved relationships, changes in attitude and perspective, higher treatment engagement and activation, better functioning and independence, decreased substance use and better general stability. Researchers also identified the mechanisms for improvement as cited by participants. According to the participants, therapy, medication, group sessions and several other components of the program were important mechanisms for change. Most commonly, participants reported that they thought therapy and sessions with the clinicians had been the most helpful. Conclusion Qualitative data describes participants’ own experiences of the benefits of the program. Previous research has confirmed that coordinated specialty care can improve psychiatric measurements of illness, whereas this qualitative research builds evidence that the benefits of these programs are felt by consumers as well. References Daley, T. C., et. al. (October 14, 2020). First-person accounts of change among young adults enrolled in coordinated specialty care for first-episode psychosis. Psychiatric Services. Molly Vencel is the research intern at the Treatment Advocacy Center. View as Webpage To receive Research Weekly directly in your email inbox on a weekly basis, click here. Questions? Contact us at [email protected] Research Weekly is a summary published as a public service of the Treatment Advocacy Center and does not necessarily reflect the findings or positions of the organization or its staff. Full access to research summarized may require a fee or paid subscription to the publications. The Treatment Advocacy Center does not solicit or accept funds from pharmaceutical companies. Treatment Advocacy Center | 200 N Glebe Rd, Ste 801, Arlington, VA 22203 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | About our service provider Sent by [email protected] powered by Try email marketing for free today!