Printable version of this resource: Teacher Fact Sheet – pdf

What’s the most important thing for teachers of youth aged 16+ to know about psychosis?

All young people who may be experiencing psychosis need to be assessed by a doctor or mental health team as soon as possible. Youth 16-30 are at the age when psychosis normally first appears, and rapid medical treatment has been shown to have a big effect on how quickly and thoroughly people recover.

How can I help students get appropriate medical help? Who do I refer students with suspected psychosis to?

Contact your local mental health team or contact an early psychosis intervention (EPI) program if you have one in your area. Here is a link to a listing of such services in BC If you can’t find a service near you, please contact the Kelty Resource Centre for assistance.

What signs should I watch out for? How do I know a student may be experiencing psychosis?

(The following is excerpted from Vancouver/Richmond Early Psychosis Program)

The following symptoms may indicate that an individual is experiencing psychosis. Frequently, people will display unusual behaviours before the onset of the acute psychotic episode.

Behavioural

• Strange posturing
• Odd or bizarre behaviour
• Feeling refreshed after much less sleep than normal
• Excessive writing without meaning
• Cutting oneself; threats of self-mutilation
• Deterioration of personal hygiene
• Hyperactivity or inactivity, or alternating between the two
• Staring without blinking – or blinking incessantly
• Agitation
• Severe sleep disturbances
• Drug or alcohol abuse (This may be a coping mechanism: self-medicating)

Thinking and Speech

• Things around them seem changed in some way
• Rapid speech that is difficult to interrupt
• Irrational statements
• Extreme preoccupation with religion or with the occult
• Peculiar use of words or odd language structures
• Unusual sensitivity to stimuli (noise, light, colours, textures)
• Memory problems
• Severe distractibility

Social

• Sensitivity and irritability when touched by others
• Refusal to touch persons or objects; wearing gloves, etc.
• Severe deterioration of social relationships
• Dropping out of activities – or out of life in general
• Social withdrawal, isolation, and reclusive
• Unexpected aggression
• Suspiciousness

Emotional

• Inappropriate laughter
• Inability to cry, or excessive crying
• Feelings of depression and anxiety
• Inability to express joy
• Euphoric mood

Personality

• Reckless behaviours that are out of character
• Significantly prolonged drops in motivation or speech
• Shift in basic personality.