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(SACRAMENTO) — The UC Davis Early Psychosis Programs' holistic approach to treating mental illness is featured in a moving new documentary short about Chris Ferrari, who received life-changing help from the clinic. The release is from One Mind, a leading brain health nonprofit.
Ferrari was in college when he began hearing voices that did not make any sense to him. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia, a serious mental illness that is typically diagnosed in the late teen years to the early thirties. He dropped out of school and worried his condition would never get better.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, every year about 100,000 adolescents and young adults in the U.S. experience their first episode of psychosis.
"Psychosis is a really broad term, and it just refers to a set of symptoms. Things like hallucinations or hearing things that aren't there," said Paula Wadell, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and medical director for the UC Davis Early Psychosis Programs.
— Paula Wadell
Ferrari's mother, Deanna Ferrari-Leong, spent hours researching the disease after her son's diagnosis. In the documentary, she explains, "I saw that UC Davis had a program. I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders."
Ferrari became a client in the EDAPT program in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. He and his mother began driving back and forth between Stockton, where they live, to the outpatient clinic in Sacramento for weekly treatments.
Progress was slow at first. After about a year and a half of being part of the program, Ferrari began to see it as a good thing. "At first, I was skeptical. But Dr. Wadell put me on some medication that actually helped me out more. I started to see differences. They got better and better," Ferrari said.
Holistic approach includes families and support people
The Early Psychosis Programs at UC Davis are nationally recognized as leading providers of early psychosis care. Each client has a clinician who helps to identify the client's unique needs and recovery goals. The treatment plans encourage clients to build upon their strengths and take an active role in treatment decisions. Families and support people are actively engaged in the care process to ensure that the client's support network has the knowledge and tools to help their loved ones toward wellness.
HHS Secretary Becerra tours Early Psychosis Programs
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra toured the Early Psychosis Programs at the UC Davis Medical Center on Wednesday, May 19. The EDAPT and SacEDAPT
