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To provide high quality and effective mental healthcare to vulnerable young people. Aiming to work together to achieve profund change and prevent crisis in adulthood.

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Categories

  • Education/Training/Employment Education/​Training/​Employment
  • Health/Wellbeing Health/​Wellbeing
  • Human Rights/Advocacy Human Rights/​Advocacy
  • Beneficiaries

    • Young People (18-30) Young People (18-30)

    Situation

    The Government's 2005 survey showed that one in ten of all 5-16 year olds have clinically significant mental health problems and many others with milder difficulties and about 14.8% of 16 to 25 year olds have suffered from a neurotic disorder . There is convincing evidence that adolescent mental health in the UK is deteriorating, with emotional problems worsening over the last 25 years . Many of our patients are at risk of, or are suffering, severe mental breakdowns and the symptoms of this can be devastating to the individual, their family and their community. They can experience severe depression and anxieties, self-harm, suicide ideation, substance misuse, violence and other disruptive feelings and behaviour. This can lead to involvement in crime and gangs. Without intervention, ultimately these young people will become socially excluded with few prospects and at risk of attempting suicide or further breakdown in adulthood. Any young person can suffer a breakdown, but certain factors can make them more vulnerable. Many of the young people that access our services have key risk factors, such as: * Low-income or single parent families; * A family member involved in crime or currently imprisoned * Behavioural problems (e.g. destructive or violent) * Refugees and Asylum Seekers * Exposure to violence and/or sexual abuse * Parents with mental health illnesses or substance misuse problems * Abusing drugs or alcohol. Therapy: Adolescent Exploratory Therapy (AET) AET is a unique blend of assessment, therapy and support created and developed at BCYP to address the specific needs of vulnerable young people. AET is a short to medium term intervention that engages young people effectively. This model is designed to allow the young person to hold some control over their own treatment and to give maximum flexibility in meeting their needs. In this way we can reach young people that might find more traditional services intimidating and/or inaccessible. If a young person needs additional treatment they will then be referred to our specialist Adolescent Psychotherapy Service. Adolescent Psychotherapy Adolescent psychotherapy is an intensive, long term intervention to help the most troubled young people. It is provided only by qualified Psychoanalysts or Psychotherapist. Adolescent psychotherapists are sensitive to the developmental needs of young people and so able to help young people achieve long lasting changes and a better future for themselves. This therapy is rather intense and complex and young people will meet with their therapist up to three times a week for up to three years but the changes it helps achieve are impressive. Goals: We measure the success of our service very closely through a number of different methods. Our main objective measure is a self-report form that clients and clinicians are asked to complete before and after using our services to monitor changes in their symptoms and emotional state. Through this we know we can make a significant impact on the symptoms a young person is exhibiting, reducing many cases from conditions that are considered clinical to a normal range, in as little as ten sessions of AET. In psychotherapy cases we also use Depression and Dissociation Scales to monitor progress. Depression and dissociation are two of the most common features of mental illness in young people and by measuring improvements on these scales we can objectively observe a young person's improvements. The effectiveness of our approach can also been seen through young people's reengagement in society. The sort of change that we can help young people achieve is best illustrated by one young woman who recently revisited the Centre to thank our workers for the help they gave her. When she first came to the Centre she was very emotionally distressed and at risk of committing suicide, since working with the Centre she has gone to university and completed an undergraduate degree. The Cost To see one extra young person for one session costs the Centre £137.70 including intensive therapists' supervision and non-clinical support for the young person. Because our approach is centred on the individual needs of young people we do not offer a set number of interventions, however, on average young people will attend about 10 sessions of our unique blend of treatment and psychological support called Adolescent Exploratory Therapy. Adolescent Psychotherapy is a more costly intervention and to treat one young person incurs a cost of £3,242 per year. The personal costs of not helping a young person is unquantifiable but the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health estimates the national cost of mental illness is over £70 billion, this includes the costs of unemployment, early morbidity, poor health and the impact on other services. Early and effective intervention ensures the best results for everyone.

    Solution

    100%
    Categories

  • Education/Training/Employment Education/​Training/​Employment
  • Health/Wellbeing Health/​Wellbeing
  • Human Rights/Advocacy Human Rights/​Advocacy
  • Beneficiaries

    • Young People (18-30) Young People (18-30)