Is early intervention in the major psychiatric disorders justified? Yes

Evidence for early intervention

Mental illnesses have been called the chronic diseases of the young.1 The incidences of mood, anxiety, psychotic, personality, eating, and substance use disorders are highest in adolescence and early adult life.2 Serious mental disorders increase mortality and may produce decades of disability and unfulfilled lives. Thus, the potential benefits and cost effectiveness of early intervention in mental disorders arguably exceed those for medical diseases, which typically emerge later in life.

Early clinical features can be difficult to distinguish from benign conditions and normal experience, leading to concerns about premature labelling. However, we now have operational criteria that not only indicate a need for immediate clinical care but strongly predict imminent …