The risk to develop a psychotic disorder is not the same in all people, nor does it remain stable across different life stages (what are the causes of psychosis?). Some people are more susceptible than others to psychosis, or become more vulnerable in the course of their life.
This vulnerability is in itself no illness and can even be associated with a high degree of sensitivity or originality in thinking. However, if it is combined with stress (e.g., in the form of conflicts or emotional crises), then it may lead to increased risk for manifesting psychotic symptoms. Increased psychosis risk can be detected through specific warning signs. Ideally, the person can recognize such symptoms and seek help at this early stage, so that a psychotic episode can be avoided by mobilizing resources and improving coping strategies.
Psychotic disorders can affect performance capacity and quality of life, especially if treatment is delayed. Scientific studies have shown that timely treatment can improve the clinical course of these disorders and help avoid negative consequences such as social isolation or unemployment.
Therefore, it is particularly important to detect risk signs of psychosis in adolescents and young adults early on. At these early stages, targeted interventions can help relieve symptoms, improve illness course or even prevent a psychotic outbreak altogether, and in this way minimize the impact of the illness on the professional and personal life of the individual.
The following symptoms may suggest an increased risk to develop a psychotic disorder:
No, not necessarily. As you can probably infer from the above descriptions, many of these risk signs are unspecific. They may signal a beginning psychotic disorder, but this may very well not be the case. In fact, only a minority (about a third) of people exhibiting such early warning signs go on to develop a psychosis in the next years. However, this is still an increased risk compared to the general population, in which the risk of psychosis is around 1%. Psychiatric/psychological assessment is therefore recommended, also for the following reasons:
The aims of early intervention are
In most cases, psychological and/or psychosocial interventions suffice to improve symptoms and quality of life. Treatment with medication is not always necessary, although sometimes antidepressants or mild sedatives may be helpful in relieving depression or anxiety. Antipsychotics are generally not recommended at these early stages and are reserved for temporary use, when quick management of progressing symptoms is required for the person to be able to benefit from psychological therapies.
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