RWJF-funded Research Shows Power of Early Engagement in Treating Mental Illness
August 8, 2014
A Washington Post front-page story this week reports on the groundbreaking success of the Early Detection and Intervention for the Prevention of Psychosis Program (EDIPPP) in helping at-risk young people avoid developing schizophrenia, a costly and potentially life-altering condition that affects 2.4 million Americans. EDIPPP focuses on identifying teens and young adults who show early signs of schizophrenia, providing strong social and emotional support, family therapy, and sometimes medicine, to pre-empt a first psychotic episode. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a Burness client, has invested $17 million on testing out this model in six sites around the country. Evidence from this research shows it can help curb early schizophrenia and keep young people in school and working as productive citizens – instead of in the hospital. Read the full story here.
