A Program for Adolescents and Young Adults
Have you or someone you know experienced recent troublesome changes in behavior, thoughts, or emotions? If so, you may benefit from the UCSD CARE program.
Director: Kristin Cadenhead, M.D.
Who We Are
Eligibility
How Could You Benefit?
Who We AreThe CARE research program is located at the University of California, San Diego, Medical Center. Its primary goal is to identify and assess adolescents and young adults who are experiencing changes in their thoughts, behavior or emotions that might be associated with developing serious and/or disabling mental problems.
Because it is not always clear what these changes mean, it is of primary importance to the CARE Program that we avoid stigmatizing or labeling the individual.
Early identification and intervention may help to delay or prevent the onset and decrease the severity of a serious mental illness.
Eligibility Criteria for CARE
Participants must be between the ages of 12 and 30 years. The CARE Program may be appropriate for individuals who have noticed recent changes in their behavior, thoughts or emotions, such as:
 |
Hearing voices, seeing visions, experiencing strange sensations,
or imagining things
|
|
|
A change in perception of objects (things looking or sounding different) |
|
|
Misinterpretation of events (feeling slightly suspicious about others
at times) |
|
|
Developing a preoccupation with new, unusual beliefs, or ideas about
mind control |
|
|
Behavior that is odd, eccentric, or strange
|
Other symptoms that may be present:
|
|
|
OR | |
Individuals
who have a close family member with schizophrenia (parent or sibling) and
have a recent deterioration in the ability to cope with life events
and stressors (expressed as poor concentration, decreased motivation,
withdrawal from family and friends, depression or anxiety), or development
of low grade symptoms as noted above. |
||
How Could You Benefit?
If you are not eligible or do not wish to participate in the CARE program, our staff offers a free referral service. The CARE program also offers services from which participants may benefit.
Assessment UCSD physicians who are experts in the study of serious mental disorders that affect adolescents and young adults staff the CARE program. All participants in the CARE program will receive a complete diagnostic evaluation and treatment recommendations.
Research The CARE program is supported by a research grant from the National Institutes of Health. The primary goal of the research is to identify risk factors for the later development of mental illness. All participants will be evaluated on a monthly basis using clinical assessments, as well as non-invasive cognitive and physiological measures.
Treatment Psychological and medical treatments to target symptoms and enhance coping strategies are available to anyone in the CARE program who does not have a treating mental health professional. Ultimately, we hope these treatments will not only delay the onset and development of mental illness, but also decrease its severity and associated disability.
Education The CARE program provides an educational program with an emphasis on both individuals and families.
Case Management Social Services are available to all participants in the program to assess needs and to help with access to community resources.
Telephone: 619-725-3516
140 Arbor Drive, Fourth Floor - San Diego, California 92103
© 2007 UCSD CARE Program