Early detection of risk factors for mental disorders

Early detection of risk factors for illnesses leads to early intervention, which can make all the difference in the quality of life of affected individuals and their families. Recent research has shown that about half of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) can be diagnosed soon after their first birthday, while others with the disorder may appear to develop normally until that age and then regress during their second year.17 In the past, clinicians were rarely able to diagnose ASD before age three, potentially missing the most important period for intervention. Building upon these new findings, NIMH envisions criteria that clinicians can use to diagnose ASD in one-year-olds with the potential for recovery by age three.

Following a different trajectory, the psychotic phase of some mental illnesses emerges when an individual is in their late teens or early twenties. In recent work, NIMH-funded researchers have been able to detect illnesses like schizophrenia in up to 80 percent of youth who will develop the disorder (median age of 16) well before the emergence of psychosis.18 Knowing these risk factors — particularly combinations of them—could help clinicians detect and treat schizophrenia years before the psychotic phase with the potential of avoiding or, at least forestalling, the most disabling part of the illness.

National Institute of Mental Health Publication

NIMH envisions a world in which mental illnesses are prevented and cured. The mission of NIMH is to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research, paving the way for prevention, recovery and cure.