Below is information about the Thompson Institute’s Myndset youth mental health program, for medical professionals, clinicians, and referring organisations.
The Myndset program is a free service for young people who are beginning to experience moderate to severe mental health concerns.
Eligibility:
Young people must meet all the following criteria:
- Aged 12 to 25 years.
- Residing in Sunshine Coast or Gympie catchment region.
- Experiencing, or early intervention for a young person at risk of experiencing, a severe and/or complex mental health disorder that fits stage 1b or 2 in the clinical staging model 1 (e.g. anxiety, mood disorder, emerging psychotic disorder)
- Experiencing recent functional decline (see point 2 below) as a result of a mental illness
- Have not received a significant period of treatment for the same presenting issue
- Willing and able to engage in the Myndset program
- Associated complexity of presentation that cannot be managed in a typical primary care setting alone (e.g. GP, private psychologist, school/university counsellor, headspace Centre)
Exclusions:
- Primary presenting issues include neurodevelopmental disorders ASD and intellectual disability; substance use; suicidality; disruptive and conduct disorders (such as oppositional defiant disorder, intermittent explosive disorder, conduct disorder).
- At acute risk of harm to themselves or others at time of intake (see point 3 below).
- In need of services that would be more appropriately delivered within an acute or hospital setting or by state health specialised community mental health services e.g. perinatal, forensic, schizophrenia, eating disorders
- Eligible for services under NDIS
- Is being/has been treated at a similar or greater intensity for the same presenting issue.
- Primary reason for referral is for assessment only
Clarifying notes:
1: Clinical staging model – see table on next page
2: Functional decline:
- As a result of a mental illness (not a disability or a chronic health condition), the young person must be experiencing recent (in the last 12 months) functional decline in multiple areas, which may include:
- Neurocognitive functioning (attention, memory, information processing, visuospatial skills, executive functioning etc.)
- Social functioning (interpersonal relationships, social skills, social activity etc.)
- Educational functioning (disengaged with learning, academic functioning etc.)
- Vocational functioning (disengaged with work, reduced performance, inability to maintain employment)
- Personal and self-care functioning (sleep, eating, showering, etc.)
- Instrumental functioning (domestic chores, using technology, financial management etc.)
- Leisure functioning (socialising, exploring hobbies and interests etc.)
- Family functioning (family relationship challenges related to the young person)
3: Acute risk of harm
- Current, acute risk of harm to themselves or others, as assessed by a mental health practitioner. Please note that Myndset works in office-hours only and cannot provide out-of-hours crisis support.
|
Clinical Stage |
Description |
Characteristics |
|
Stage 0 |
Non-help-seeking asymptomatic individuals with risk factors that increase the risk of mental illness |
A range of factors that increase the risk of mental illness, including but not limited to family history of mental illness, childhood abuse, developmental disorder, perinatal trauma, childhood onset anxiety, and affective disorders |
|
Stage 1a |
Help-seeking individuals with presenting symptoms that are distressing but are not specific to one disorder, are of low to moderate severity, and have limited impact on functioning |
Nonspecific anxiety or depressive symptoms of mild to moderate severity typically among help-seeking individuals, with mild functional impacts |
|
Stage 1b |
Individuals with attenuated syndromes of severe mental disorders, with moderate to severe functional effects |
Development of attenuated syndromes of anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, or psychosis or syndromes with mixed features. Diagnosis is often unclear, and where it is, comorbidity is common. Social, education, and employment functioning is often moderately to severely impaired. |
|
Stage 2 |
Individuals with discrete first-episode syndromes with major functional effects |
Clear-cut, first-episode psychotic, severe depressive or mixed syndromes, with severe symptoms and major social, educational, and employment effects |
|
Stage 3 |
Individuals with recurrent or persistent syndromes with ongoing severe functional effects |
Syndrome has not remitted after 12 months, or there has been a recurrence of a previous stage 2 illness |
|
Stage 4 |
Individuals with syndromes that are severe, persistent, and unremitting |
Syndrome persists for more than 2 years in spite of provision of a range of specialised interventions |
TILE 2: Referral to the program
Referrals to the program are via Head to Health, headspace centres and Queensland Hospital and Health Services.
GPs can refer patients by completing the PHN referral form for ‘PHN Mental Health Intake Stepped Care Services’ and send it to Head to Health via fax or Medical Objects.
For more information, email us at myndset@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 1191.