The key to prevention
How can people with the first signs of schizophrenia be helped early on? Cognitive training and individually tailored treatment can prevent more severe disease progression.
For early detection of cancer, people of a certain age can undergo tests – such as those that look for traces of blood in the stool. This can indicate an incipient intestinal carcinoma. If the test is positive, further investigations take place in order to best help the person concerned.
Wouldn't it be just as important to similarly identify mental disorders early – or contain them before they become clinically relevant? Following the example of cancer research, many psychiatrists have now set themselves the goal of improving prognosis, prevention and personalization in their field. However, predictions are difficult in psychiatry because mental disorders are complex illnesses that include not only biological, but also psychological and social factors. Nevertheless, there are ways today to identify those people who have a particularly high risk of certain mental illnesses such as schizophrenia …
