First Episode Mood and Anxiety Program

Late adolescence/emerging adulthood (LA/EA) are times of complex physiological, social and developmental change. This is also the age of onset of the majority of psychiatric illnesses, with 75% beginning before age 24. Untreated, anxiety and mood disorders have a high rate of reoccurrence and can become chronic, leading to potentially life-long disability. Disruption of educational, occupational and social development during LA/EA can be crippling. Early intervention for these common psychiatric disorders can mitigate or prevent potentially disabling long-term consequences. Early intervention programs are common for chronic medical conditions and psychosis. However, there had been no programs created to address early intervention for other psychiatric conditions. To address this gap and ensure that LA/EAs received timely care for common psychiatric disorders, the First Episode Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program (FEMAP) was developed at the London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario over 10 years ago. It followed the example of first episode psychosis programs by eliminating barriers to access by youth. The goal of this program is to serve youth, aged 16 to 25, by providing evidence-based, outpatient treatment before conditions become chronic. The goal of the program is to return the individual to their previous developmental trajectory so that they can reach their full life potential. As a clinical research and treatment program FEMAP has been thoroughly evaluated, as published in peer-reviewed journals. Patients within the program have access to psychiatry, social work, addiction treatment, family therapy, both individual and group therapy, all as clinically indicated and within the same team.