Help at hand for rural mentally ill

Teams of specialists will help to identify patients most at risk of developing mental health problems across Hambleton and Richmondshire in the hope that an early intervention will prevent their conditions escalating.

Concerns have been growing over the scale of mental illness blighting rural communities in North Yorkshire, as isolation compounds the problems for many patients.

Community and mental health services in North Yorkshire cost about 160m a year, and it is feared that the financial strain will escalate in coming years unless urgent action is taken.

Details of the initiative, which has been modelled on a similar scheme in York, were announced yesterday. Health chiefs aim to prevent mental illness and patients taking their own lives, as well as driving down treatment costs.

Official statistics show that suicide among young adults, particularly men, is the third-highest cause of death in the region, accounting for 15 per cent of deaths.

The associate director of mental health at North Yorkshire and York Community and Mental Health Services, John Clare, said: "Early intervention is vitally important to help prevent people at risk of developing mental health problems going on to develop bigger problems.

"This approach has demonstrated high levels of recovery, not just in a medical sense but also in patients' ability to live a normal life in the community rather than becoming a long-term patient."

The new scheme is being led by 15 GP practices, called the Hambleton and Richmondshire Practice-based Commissioning (PbC) Group, which are working with North Yorkshire and York Community and Mental Health Services.

The teams of specialists will work with people aged between 14 and 35 who are experiencing their first episode of psychosis in the hope of minimising the impact of mental illness.

Health experts are providing a range of services, including anti-psychotic medications, psychological therapies and social interventions, tailored to the needs of the young people.

Studies conducted during the last 25 years have revealed that early intervention has helped to improve recovery rates and reduce the number of suicides as well as curbing the financial demands placed on the NHS for ongoing treatment.

Hambleton and Richmondshire PbC Group chairman, Grahame Dickinson, said: "With effective early interventions, the teams will be able to reduce demand for other mental health services and prevent young people falling into a cycle of poverty, social exclusion, hospital admissions and a lifelong dependency on state support."

The Yorkshire Post revealed in July last year that a survey involving up to 8,000 patients was being conducted to provide a snapshot of a wide range of health services across the county, including dental care and out-of-hours' GP cover.

The research also studied data on mental health services for patients suffering from mild depression to psychosis and schizophrenia.

More than 4,500 staff are employed by NHS North Yorkshire and York to provide community and mental health services, with over 560 inpatient beds spread across the county's hospitals and mental health units.

People with psychosis often experience hallucinations and delusions.

While psychosis is not a condition in itself, it is a symptom of other medical conditions. The most common cause of psychosis is a mental health condition such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.