Can a targeted psychological intervention be effective for young people following a first manic episode? Results from an 18-month pilot study.

Aim: There is a scarce literature describing psychological interventions for a young, first-episode cohort who have experienced psychotic mania. This study aimed to assess whether a manualized psychological intervention could be effective in reducing symptomatology and relapse, and improve functional outcome in this population.

Methods: The study was an open-label design, drawn from a larger pharmacotherapy trial.

Consumer participation in a youth mental health service.

Aim: Consumer participation is increasingly being understood in both a policy and a practice context as an essential component of mental health service planning, delivery and evaluation. Existing models of participation benefit from adaptation to suit the early intervention context.

Methods: This paper describes a unique programme of 'youth' consumer participation occurring at Orygen Youth Health (OYH)--an early intervention service in Melbourne, Australia.

The HYPE Clinic: an early intervention service for borderline personality disorder.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) emerges during adolescence and young adulthood and has profound effects throughout this vulnerable developmental phase and beyond. Hitherto, clinical interventions for BPD have focused on individuals with established and/or chronic forms of the disorder. However, over the past 15 years, a body of evidence has developed supporting the reliability, validity, and clinical importance of the diagnosis of BPD in adolescence, underscoring the need for prevention and early intervention for BPD.