Mental health concerns are common among young people in Dubai. Unfortunately, as with most places worldwide, many adolescents and young adults don’t receive the specialist, professional support they deserve. But accessing effective treatment is really important – it’s very difficult for young people to recover from mental health disorders on their own.
Intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) are one type of mental health support available for young people. They offer a higher level of care than weekly or daily appointments but don’t involve residential stays in a treatment space. They support young people to reconnect with themselves and achieve transformative change while continuing to stay with their families in the evenings and weekends.
This blog offers some more information about intensive outpatient programs and why many families from Dubai are choosing The Wave Clinic for treatment.
What Is an Intensive Outpatient Program?
Intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) offer intensive treatment for mental health conditions without residential care. Programs usually involve six to ten hours of treatment sessions a day on three to five days each week. Instead of staying at the treatment centre, people return home at the end of each day, continuing their everyday lives.
IOPs lie in between inpatient or residential programs and appointment-based, outpatient support. IOP programs don’t just fit around a young person’s daily routine; they are the focus of their everyday life for the duration of the program and require a break from some other commitments.
On the other hand, IOPs don’t necessitate a total break from daily life in the same way as residential programs. Young people can continue to see their friends, spend time with their family, and pursue some of their hobbies and commitments as they receive mental health support.
What Do Intensive Outpatient Programs Involve?
IOPs usually offer a combination of different treatment approaches according to the needs of every young person or family. This might include talking therapies (such as cognitive behavioural therapy), group therapies, creative therapies, nutritional support, occupational support, and other modalities.
During intensive outpatient programs, young people and families can benefit from a range of expert professionals specialising in various modalities and modes of mental health support. IOPs facilitate a whole-person approach to recovery that addresses both past traumas and present experiences.
How Can Intensive Outpatient Programs Support Families and Young People?
Intensive outpatient programs can support young people and families with mental health concerns, including mood disorders, eating disorders, and borderline personality disorder.
Some of the benefits of intensive outpatient programs include:
- a diverse selection of treatment modalities
- making recovery the priority for the duration of the programme
- joining a community with others on the programme
- continuing with aspects of everyday life, practising and reinforcing new skills at home
Intensive Outpatient Programs for Families
IOPs for families help family members support a young person’s recovery journey. Families often play a huge role in young people’s recovery from mental illness, both by providing support in challenging times and by reinforcing positive behaviours at home.
On the other hand, families can sometimes unintentionally encourage unhelpful behaviours through dynamics that may have developed over many years.
Intensive outpatient programs for families support family members in identifying unhelpful or harmful patterns and replacing them with positive ones. They teach families new skills that strengthen the family system and provide better support for a young person. They also involve families in a young person’s recovery program, sharing the same language and ideas about mental illness.
IOP programs for families may include:
- Family systems therapy
- DBT-family skills learning
- Family art therapy
- Experiences and activities
It can be difficult for families to change established dynamics and patterns of behaviour, especially within the same environment and daily routines. While IOPs don’t involve a complete break from everyday life, they do provide an intensity of treatment that immerses families in new experiences, ideas, and ways of being. IOPs also often offer opportunities to make new memories as a family through experiences and group activities that facilitate holistic growth and transformation.
Who Needs a Higher Level of Care? How Do We Know When Outpatient Is Not Enough?
While intensive outpatient care keeps most young people with mental health disorders safe, it may not be sufficient for those at the highest risk. Some young people require 24-hour monitoring and access to medical support to stay safe.
Inpatient care is usually necessary when a young person poses a danger to themselves that cannot be mitigated through a ‘crisis plan’ at home. This might be because they are at risk of harming themselves without any escalation or warning. It might be because they are having suicidal thoughts and ideations.
Inpatient care may also be required for young people with eating disorders who are at risk of serious medical complications.
Sometimes, a young person may need a higher level of care because of their home environment or the challenges they face in their everyday life. Some young people exist within established dynamics and patterns that are very hard to overcome while spending time in these settings. In such cases, residential treatment that offers a complete break from these triggers and stressors may be the most effective choice.
When young people are in intensive outpatient care, doctors and mental health professionals are always monitoring their well-being and looking out for signs that a higher level of care may be necessary. This means that young people can be moved into residential care whenever it is required, ensuring their ongoing safety.
Clinicians may also recommend that a young person move into a residential setting if they have tried outpatient care, but it hasn’t been effective. In particular, they may look out for aspects of their relationships, school, or home environment that could be complicating the recovery process.
The Wave Clinic: Transformative Recovery Programs for Young People
Young people’s mental health concerns require specialist, professional support to recover. At The Wave Clinic’s outpatient centre in Kuala Lumpur, we offer a range of programs for young people and their families searching for exceptional, expert-led care.
Our intensive outpatient programs offer a diverse selection of the most effective treatment modalities available for child and adolescent mental health. We also offer intensive family therapy programs for five to ten days, with accommodation provided at the Four Seasons Hotel.
From Spring 2025, we’ll be opening an outpatient treatment space in Dubai itself.
If you’re interested in finding out more about our programs, get in touch today. We’re here to help.
