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Is it appropriate to treat people at high-risk of psychosis before first onset? - No

David J Castle
Med J Aust 2012; 196 (9): . || doi: 10.5694/mja12.10669
Published online: 21 May 2012

Schizophrenia expert David Castle suggests caution, especially regarding medication use

It has been suggested that one can “predict” schizophrenia at an individual level. Features posited as being part of these so-called ultra-high risk (UHR) criteria1 include risk factors (eg, a family history of schizophrenia), symptoms (eg, attenuated positive psychotic symptoms) and longitudinal trajectory (decline in functioning). Added to this, mostly, is the requirement that the individual be “help-seeking”, though this is a loose term and raises questions about pathways to care.


  • St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC.


Correspondence: david.castle@svhm.org.au

Competing interests:

I currently receive payment as an advisory board member from: Lundbeck, Eli Lilly, Astra Zeneca, Pfizer and Janssen-Cilag.

  • 1. Yung AR, McGorry PD, McFarlane C, et al. Monitoring and care of young people at incipient risk of psychosis. Schizoph Bull 1996; 22: 283-303.
  • 2. Fusar-Poli P, Bonoldi I, Yung AR, et al. Predicting psychosis: meta-analysis of transition outcomes in individuals at high clinical risk. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2012; 69: 220-229.
  • 3. Carr V. Time to move on? Commentary on the early intervention in psychosis debate. ANZ J Psychiatry 2012; 46: 384-386.
  • 4. Morrison AP, French P, Stewart SLK, et al. Early detection and intervention evaluation for people at risk of psychosis: multisite randomised controlled trial. BMJ 2012; 344: e2233. doi: 10.1136/bmj.e2233.
  • 5. Bechdolf A, Wagner M, Ruhrmann S, et al. Preventing progression to first-episode psychosis in early initial prodromal states. Br J Psychiatry 2012; 200: 22-29.

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