Mental Health: Early Intervention Benefits and Nursing Strategies

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of early intervention in mental health, highlighting its significant benefits, particularly for young people. The essay details five key advantages: reduced treatment resistance and lower relapse risk, decreased risk of suicide, minimized disruptions to work or school, more rapid recovery and improved prognosis, and reduced vocational/developmental disruption. Furthermore, the essay discusses nursing interventions for managing emerging mental health conditions, specifically focusing on anxiety disorders. It emphasizes the importance of educating patients and their support systems about anxiety disorders, including their causes, impacts, and available treatments. The essay stresses the role of education in empowering young people to actively participate in their treatment and manage their mental health effectively. The essay concludes by underscoring the importance of early intervention strategies in improving the long-term outcomes of mental health conditions.

Early Intervention in a
Mental Health Care

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
5 Benefits of Early Intervention in Mental Health......................................................................3
Nursing intervention that could be implemented when working with someone with an
emerging mental health condition...............................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Mental health refers to a state in which individuals are able to realise own capabilities
and is able to cope with stress associated with normal life and can make productive and fruitful
contribution to community. Mental health care refers to services that are provided for treatment
of mental illness and improvement of mental health in people who are facing disorders or
problems. Early intervention in mental health is concerned with providing special intervention
and support to those who are experiencing and demonstrating early symptoms of mental illness
or mental health related issues (Early intervention in mental illness, (2020). Early interventions
are undertaken to prevent or reduce progress of mental illness and along with this, early
intervention for mental health are also important for improving mental and physical health and
community participation of individuals. Early interventions are particularly important for young
people and children because they are likely to have profound and long-term consequences of
mental illness. Early intervention for them includes identifying children and young people with a
risk of developing mental illness. This essay will discuss about benefits of early interventions
and a nursing intervention for managing anxiety disorder in young people.
MAIN BODY
5 Benefits of Early Intervention in Mental Health
Anxiety disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, major depressive disorder,
conduct disorder are among more prevent mental health issues in young people aged 12-17 years
(Woods and et.al., (2021). In Australia young people are being provided with tools so that they
can look after their mental health and seek further support when needed.
Less treatment resistance and lower risk of relapse
This is one of the very important positive impact of early intervention in mental health.
Early intervention for mental health in young people ensures that resistance to treatment is less.
This is required for ensuring that young people are able to cope with their treatment requirement
and does not hesitate from taking treatment for mental health (Guralnick, (2017). During early
intervention, symptoms are also mild and because of this young people are able to look after

their well-being and make right decision and do not resist treatment. Risk of relapse also reduces
because of early treatment when condition of young people is controllable and their treatment is
also easy.
Reduced risk for suicide
Suicide is leading cause of death in young people in Australia and around 350 young
people each year take their own life (Read, Roush and Downing, (2018). For these young people
who commit suicide and attempt suicide depression and other mental health issues are very
common risk factors for suicide. Early intervention for mental health makes positive impact by
contributing in reducing risk for suicide in young people (Bailey and et.al., (2017). Early
intervention for mental health will also contribute in reducing warning signs and behaviour that
ultimately lead young people towards suicide such as feeling hopeless, feeling worthless, feeling
alone that no one understands them, changes in mood and behaviour, being aggressive and
irritable (Early intervention in psychiatry, (2007). Treatment and interventions for these issues
will lead towards improvement in mental health and risk for suicide in young people will reduce.
Reduced disruptions to work or school attendance
Treatment and intervention for mental health can create significant disruption in work
and school attendance of young people (Chanen and et.al., (2020). However, early interventions
make positive impact by avoiding occurrence of such situation in which young people are
required to disrupt their work and school for the purpose of mental health treatment or
interventions. The reason behind this is that in early interventions, condition of young people
related to mental health is not severe and this is why they can be treated with small interventions
and this is why they do not need to disrupt their work and school. In addition to this, being able
to continue to work and attending school also make positive impact on mental health treatment
of young people. This is because it is considered that diagnosis with mental health can cause
disruption in regular activities (Gulliver, (2017). This means that being able to perform regular
activities reduced stigma related to mental health and also reduces fear in young people and
increases their confidence which ultimately lead to their better mental health.
More rapid recovery and better prognosis

This is also a positive impact of early intervention in mental health and according to this,
when early interventions are started for mental health of young people this increases recovery
speed. Prognosis which means how something is likely to develop in future also improves
because of early intervention for mental health. This means that early intervention include
identifying symptoms about mental health and on the basis of early intervention clinicians can
determine future likeliness of developing mental health issues in young people. This helps in
taking right decisions about their treatment and mental health intervention (Puntis, Oke and
Lennox, (2018). Other than this, recovery of young people also improves because in early
intervention mental health issues are not severe, this is why they can be treated effectively and
recovery is rapid. Rapid recovery of mental issues is also one of the very important aims of early
interventions of mental health.
Reduced vocational/developmental disruption
This is also a positive impact of early intervention for mental health in which early
interventions ensure that vocational and developmental disruption reduces (Amos, Andrew.
(2020). Young age people are often involved in activities of vocational learning and development
activities and when they are treated for mental health treatment in such situation their vocational
and development activities are likely to get disrupted. In early interventions young age people
can be treated for mental health issues without causing any disruption in their vocational and
developmental disruption. Vocational and development activities are very important for long
term development of young age people and make impact on their overall life. This is why it is
very important that in order to avoid any possible negative impact on their life, people can
continue to undertake vocational and developmental activities (Bowman, McKinstry and
McGorry, P. (2017). Through early intervention for mental health people can ensure that their
development continues and they are able to achieve long term goals and objectives of their life.
Nursing intervention that could be implemented when working with someone with an emerging
mental health condition
Nursing interventions are practices that are undertaken by nurses to treat people with
mental health issues. Nursing interventions can play key role in treatment efficiency and success
of early interventions for young people (Iorfino and et.al., (2019). Nursing interventions to be
implemented when working with someone with an emerging mental health condition of Anxiety

Disorder is Educate the patient and/or SO that anxiety disorders are treatable ( Matt Vera,
(2019). Anxiety Disorder is very common problem in young people and in this is why its early
intervention by nurses is very important. Anxiety Disorder is concerned with a state of mind in
which individuals experience excessive fear and worry. Anxiety disorder also create difficulty in
n breathing, sleeping, staying still and concentrate. This is why in order to avoid its long term
impact it is very important that interventions are undertaken in its emerging state. However,
impact of anxiety disorders on young people mainly depends on type of anxiety disorder that
individuals have (Anxiety Disorders, 2020). Certain common symptoms of anxiety disorders
include Panic, Fear and uneasiness. However, there are no specific reasons have been identified
for anxiety disorder and complex mix of things play role in who get anxiety disorder. Some
causes of anxiety disorder includes Genetics, Brain Chemistry and environmental stress and
withdrawal and misuse of drugs. Certain factors that causes risk for anxiety disorder includes
History of mental disorder, childhood sexual abuse, trauma, negative life events, substance
abuse, being shy as child and low self-esteem (Mueller-Tasch and et.al., (2018). These are
certain factors because of which there is risk that young people are likely to experience and
suffer from Anxiety Disorder. It is very important that to avoid long term life impact, individuals
are treated well while the disorder emerges. In Australia anxiety disorders is most prevalent in
females aged 12-17. This means that it is a time in which most young females attend their school
and educational institute (Mental health of Australia’s young people and adolescent, (2016).
Studies based on early interventions in school involve education of young people about mental
health. This is why when they require nursing interventions, education plays key role in
management of anxiety disorders in young people. ‘Managing and treating anxiety’ this article
by Australian government states that learning and education about anxiety is central to success
for managing and treating anxiety (Managing and treating anxiety. (2020). This is why for
anxiety disorder which is most prevalent in young female population, education nursing
interventions can make significant positive impact on managing overall condition of patients.
Educating patient is one of the very important nursing intervention. In this young people
are made learned about anxiety and are given adequate information about anxiety and its reasons,
impact and treatments. Education plays very important role through which young people are
enabled to participate in their treatment for anxiety disorder. As many of the schools are also
working for educating children about mental health and how they can take care of their mental

health (Killu, Marc and Crundwell, (2016). This is why for nurses it is very important for nurses
to take intervention and educate young people about their condition and mental health. Educating
young children is very important for management of anxiety disorders in young management.
Education for management of anxiety disorder includes-
Educating about causes- This involves educating young people about causes of anxiety
disorder. This is important so that they understand the factors in their life that have caused
anxiety disorders (Semaan, Noureddine and Farhood, (2018). This is important to make people
understand how they should deal with or avoid factors causing and contributing emergence and
development of anxiety disorders.
Educating about Impact- This is also a very important information and learning that is to be
given to young people who are experiencing anxiety disorders by nurses. This involves
developing their understanding about impacts of anxiety disorders and this is also important to
avoid impact of any stigma on their treatment. Young people should be told about right ways in
which anxiety disorder will affect their life (Bandelow, Michaelis and Wedekind, (2017). In this
they should be told about impact on their education and normal working because of anxiety
disorder. This is important so that they take their condition seriously and get adequate treatment
and also participate actively in managing anxiety disorder.
Education about Treatment- This is also very important information and education that is to be
given to young people when anxiety disorder is emerging (Lazarov, Pine and Bar-Haim, (2017).
Treatment about condition and its information includes both educating them about efforts and
measures that they should take and efforts and measures to be taken by clinicians to treat and
manage anxiety disorder in young people.
Along with these three key areas of information in order to manage anxiety disorders in
young people nurses also educate them about misconceptions and stigmas associated with
anxiety disorder or mental health condition (Yeni and et.al., (2018). This is because they can
make negative impact on their condition.
This intervention is very important because it becomes basis for further treatment and
related decisions for management of anxiety disorders in young people. On the basis of this
nurses can ensure that in emerging stage of anxiety disorders young people get best treatment so

that progress of condition and its impact on long term can be reduced. In order to actively
involve patients and young people in their treatment and all other clinical and medical
interventions this can play central role. Participation by young people in emerging mental health
condition ensures that they are more aware about their condition and they become able to control
and manage development and occurrence of disease bin future.
CONCLUSION
On the basis of above discussion, it can be concluded that mental health issues and
conditions are increasing in young people. This is the reason that early interventions have
become very important to avoid negative impact on their long term life and life goals. In addition
to this, there are several benefits of early interventions for young age people for mental health.
This include reduced impact and disruption in regular activities that young people take and most
important is ease of treatment and coping abilities at early intervention. This ensures that young
people will not have long term impact and because of this possibilities of suicide which is one of
the very drastic step and is result of mental health condition can also be avoided. Concerned with
nursing intervention education of mental health condition and anxiety disorders was discussed in
essay and discussion outlines that it is very important for early intervention to reduce anxiety
disorder and its impact in young people. This enables clinicians to involve patients in their
treatment and patients also become aware of how they can take initiative to control and manage
their condition.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Amos, Andrew. (2020). Very early intervention…effective prevention starts with perinatal
mental health and wellbeing. Australasian Psychiatry : Bulletin of the Royal Australian
and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, 28(5), 491–491.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1039856220953717a
Bailey, E., Spittal, M. J., Pirkis, J., Gould, M., & Robinson, J. (2017). Universal suicide
prevention in young people. Crisis.
Bandelow, B., Michaelis, S., & Wedekind, D. (2017). Treatment of anxiety disorders. Dialogues
in clinical neuroscience. 19(2). 93.
Bowman, S., McKinstry, C. and McGorry, P. (2017), Youth mental ill health and secondary
school completion in Australia: time to act. Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 11: 277-
289. https://doi-org.ezproxy2.acu.edu.au/10.1111/eip.12357
Chanen, A., Yung, A., Killackey, E., Hickie, I., Coghill, D., Scott, J. G., ... & McGorry, P.
(2020). The value of early intervention in creating the new mental health system:
Response to Allison et al. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 54(7), 667-
669.
Early intervention in psychiatry. (2007). Blackwell. (Australian Journal)
Gulliver, A. (2017). Commentary: Mental health in sport (MHS): Improving the early
intervention knowledge and confidence of elite sport staff. Frontiers in psychology. 8.
1209.
Guralnick, M. J. (2017). Early intervention for children with intellectual disabilities: An
update. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities. 30(2). 211-229.
Iorfino, F., Scott, E. M., Carpenter, J. S., Cross, S. P., Hermens, D. F., Killedar, M., Nichles, A.,
Zmicerevska, N., White, D., Guastella, A. J., Scott, J., McGorry, P. D., &Hickie, I. B.
(2019). Clinical Stage Transitions in Persons Aged 12 to 25 Years Presenting to Early
Intervention Mental Health Services With Anxiety, Mood, and Psychotic Disorders.
JAMA psychiatry, 76(11), 1167–1175.
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.2360
Killu, K., Marc, R., & Crundwell, A. (2016). Students with anxiety in the classroom: Educational
accommodations and interventions. Beyond Behavior, 25(2), 30-40.
Lazarov, A., Pine, D. S., & Bar-Haim, Y. (2017). Gaze-contingent music reward therapy for
social anxiety disorder: A randomized controlled trial. American Journal of
Psychiatry. 174(7). 649-656.

Mueller-Tasch, T., Loewe, B., Lossnitzer, N., Frankenstein, L., Taeger, T., Haass, M., ... &
Herzog, W. (2018). Anxiety and self-care behaviour in patients with chronic systolic
heart failure: A multivariate model. European Journal of Cardiovascular
Nursing. 17(2). 170-177.
Puntis, S., Oke, J., & Lennox, B. (2018). Discharge pathways and relapse following treatment
from early intervention in psychosis services. BJPsych open. 4(5). 368-374.
Read, H., Roush, S., & Downing, D. (2018). Early intervention in mental health for adolescents
and young adults: A systematic review. American Journal of Occupational
Therapy. 72(5). 7205190040p1-7205190040p8.
Semaan, V., Noureddine, S., & Farhood, L. (2018). Prevalence of depression and anxiety in end-
stage renal disease: A survey of patients undergoing hemodialysis. Applied Nursing
Research. 43. 80-85.
Woods, S. W., Bearden, C. E., Sabb, F. W., Stone, W. S., Torous, J., Cornblatt, B. A., ... &
Anticevic, A. (2021). Counterpoint. Early intervention for psychosis risk syndromes:
Minimizing risk and maximizing benefit. Schizophrenia research, 227, 10-17.
Yeni, K., Tulek, Z., Simsek, O. F., & Bebek, N. (2018). Relationships between knowledge,
attitudes, stigma, anxiety and depression, and quality of life in epilepsy: A structural
equation modeling. Epilepsy & Behavior. 85. 212-217.
Books and Journals
Early intervention in mental illness. (2020). [Online]. Available Through: <
https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/mental-health/prevention-and-promotion/early-
intervention-in-mental-health#:~:text=What%20is%20early%20intervention%3F,early
%20symptoms%20of%20mental%20illness.>.
Health of young people. (2020). [Online]. Available Through: <
https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/health-of-young-people>.
Young people’s health. [Online]. Available Through:
<https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/young-peoples-health>.
Matt Vera, BSN, R.N. (2019). 7 Anxiety and Panic Disorders Nursing Care Plans. [Online].
Available Through: <https://nurseslabs.com/anxiety-panic-disorders-nursing-care-
plans/>.
Anxiety Disorders. 2020. [Online]. Available Through: <https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-
panic/guide/anxiety-disorders#:~:text=The%20main%20symptom%20of
%20anxiety,Panic%2C%20fear%2C%20and%20uneasiness>.
Managing and treating anxiety. (2020). [Online]. Available Through: <
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/anxiety-treatment-
options>.

Mental health of Australia’s young people and adolescent. (2016). [Online]. Available Through:
<https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/42e2f292-4ebb-4e8d-944c-32c014ad2796/ah16-5-
5-mental-health-australias-young-people-adolescents.pdf.aspx#:~:text=Anxiety
%20disorders%20was%20the%20most,parent%2Fcarer%20(4.7%25).>.