Until now it has been very difficult to distinguish the early stages of schizophrenia from the beginnings of other psychiatric illnesses, or even just normal adolescence. Brain imaging may become a powerful predictor of future illness. In cancer, we've seen that screening people at risk can have a great effect on treatment success. With a suitable schizophrenia screening method, for the first time, preventive psychiatry becomes a realistic possibility. This new research underlines the urgent need to act on the government's NHS Plan which prioritised early intervention in the treatment of schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia is the most common form of severe mental illness.
It affects about one person in a hundred. The illness usually begins in the late teens and early 20s and is characterised by hallucinations, delusions, hearing voices and changes in behaviour. In a minority of cases sufferers can become violent towards parents and carers or even complete strangers. Men and women are equally affected but the age of onset is usually younger in men. The research is published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.