Prevention of Schizophrenia

There are currently recognized precursors of schizophrenia that are apparent during adolescence. A wide variety of early-intervention techniques have been developed that draw on the knowledge of these precursors to identify individuals at risk for the illness and to prevent the predisposition toward schizophrenia from developing into the full disorder. Unfortunately, most of the research that has enabled the identification of these precursors and the development of these intervention techniques has been performed retrospectively in adults with schizophrenia, with little specific research attention directed toward forms of schizophrenia that manifest during adolescence. In addition, prevention efforts have necessarily lagged behind studies of the risk factors, detection, and early intervention of the disease. Yet, a great deal has already been learned about risk-profiling and early intervention in schizophrenia generally, and those aspects that may be useful in understanding the adolescent forms of the illness are discussed below.