During the last 15years,much progress in early interventions(EIs)focusing on psychosis in the young people has been made, and new revelations about psychotic disorder including schizophrenia have come out. Furthermore,findings from clinical epidemiology in the general population and clinical genetics of psychiatric diseases have revealed the“trajectories”before the onset of psychosis. Current state and challenge of EIs in the firstepisode psychosis(FEP)and high risk state(HRS)(putatively prodromal state)for psychosis will be selectively overviewed in this article. Although EIs in FEP shorten the duration of untreated psychosis and improve the short-term outcome, it would be required to sustain the EI effects for a long time. EIs in HRS also prove fruitful, but predictor of transition to psychosis must be established for the clinical practice. Furthermore,EIs in the earlier HRS targeting at the cognitive dysfunction and negative rather than positive symptoms under ethical consideration will improve psychosocial impairments. Clinical staging concept using in general medicine for the serious physical diseases might enable an individualized medicine in psychiatric EIs.
Mental Health Care for Young People: Early Intervention in Psychosis
Psychiatria et Neurologia Japonica
114: 303-309, 2012