Craig Mackie began experiencing the symptoms of psychosis when he was in his 20s and told Radio Sussex: “I have heard voices and I have seen things.”

He said the support he received from Early Intervention in Psychosis Services has enabled him to “live alongside” his illness.

He now helps others through his role as a peer supporter for the service which he said probably saved his life.

Mr Mackie said early intervention is “hugely beneficial” and makes things “much easier for you in the long run”.

Mr Mackie said the service was not something he knew existed, adding: “If I had known it existed earlier things would have been different.

“If I hadn’t found it then, I can’t say for sure if I’d be here now or not.”

A recent study by the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust found that early intervention in the first three years of psychosis improves outcomes for young patients.

The research was published in the British Journal of Psychiatry and was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

It explored issues that can deter young people from addressing their mental health problems, such as a lack of inclusion of family and friends in discussions about treatment.

Service users and carers said the Early Youth Engagement (EYE) approach helped with isolation, trust, personal goals, better communication with the service, shared decision-making with staff and family involvement.

The approach includes a website, booklet series written with young people and other resources to support young people and families, and a training program for staff.

Mackie, who was supported by the service between 2017 and 2020, said early intervention makes “a huge difference”.

“I couldn’t handle it because I didn’t know what was happening,” he said.

“I would hardly ever leave the house. I wouldn’t really talk to my friends and family. I wouldn’t really do anything.

“Just having someone else who could understand me and knowing I wasn’t alone gave me a sense of relief.

“Now I can use that experience to help other people.”

He said his psychosis hasn’t gone away, but he now has the tools he needs to get on with life and his new job by using his lived experience to support others.

“I now live with a voice. It’s what I live alongside, rather than against,” he said.

“(Psychosis) can be a scary thing, but also not a scary thing once you know what it is and you can live alongside it.”