The creation of the Equipos Guía project to support the care of high-complexity needs in young people and adolescents with mental disorders

Abstract

In recent years, society has been experiencing a series of unfavourable socioeconomic situations and inequalities in the field of health, which have led to an increase in people with mental disorders within the population. Mental health is a key element in guaranteeing our well-being and helping us to develop at the different life stages, without forgetting that it is of vital importance in coping with the many more complex situations that will accompany us throughout our lives. The Guide Teams (Equips Guia) are a set of 10 community teams distributed throughout Catalonia. The rollout to begin the intervention was formalized at the beginning of 2022. The multidisciplinary team’s intervention is aimed at young people and adolescents between 12 and 25 years of age with mental disorders, high-complexity addictions, disruptive behaviour and strong social impact. The main aim of the programme is to achieve more coordinated and joint care from all the departments and resources of the system, in order to offer continuity and cross-cutting intervention, centred on the person, the family and the environment. Being able to promote care in all the areas that make up a person’s daily routine, through different professional profiles within the same team, helps to detect needs and difficulties in less time and, as a result, to offer more direct care. An intensive, voluntary community intervention in the person’s own home, school or environment has a favourable impact on the different professionals, people cared for and families.