Patient-centered approach proves successful for London youth who have mood and anxiety problems – London

A new study of the impact of the First Episode Mood and Anxiety Program (FEMAP) at the London Health Sciences Center (LHSC) suggests that patient-friendly mental health services can make lasting improvements to symptom management.
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The study conducted by Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University has matched 22 young people with FEMAP to better understand their personal perspectives on care and treatment.

FEMAP is an ambulatory mental health program initiated by Dr. Elizabeth Osuch, Associate Professor at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, in 2006. She provides treatment to people 16-25 year olds who participated shared their experiences in the program through open interviews with Osuch's research team.

"Patients were significantly better on the measures of symptoms and functional measures. between when they started their treatment with us and when we interviewed them two years later, "Osuch told CFPL 980.

" You can have a lot of numbers that show that people are getting better, but that does not not give you a lot of information on why or how they have improved, from their point of view. So, not only did their numbers improve, but they felt better. "

Research has shown that many patients were initially frustrated when they were seeking treatment because they were hoping for an" easy solution "while many struggling with no treatment was needed in first, Osuch believes that there is a need for targeted campaigns to help emerging adults distinguish between normative feelings and those who might benefit from professional help, and noted that the answers suggest that targeted education campaigns on mental health care are needed, to show that solutions are not necessarily quick or easy.

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Osuch hopes the study results will inform care delivery models and hope to receive government funding as a model of health care for FEMAP, currently funded by research dollars and donations.

"One of the things that people sometimes forget is that the importance of the process is the key to this research. You can not just start a recipe book approach in people and expect that they react in the same way. People are different, they need different approaches, "says Osuch.

" When using a patient-centered model of care, there is variability in the frequency of consultation or the type of professional . it is also the most important way to get a good result for all patients.