Risk syndromes in psychiatry: a state-of-the-art overview

Early identification and timely intervention are crucial issues in contemporary psychiatry, both in terms of improved outcome and optimal treatment delivery as well as service reform. Although the field has advanced substantially in the last 25 years, there is a constant need to revise and ponder the core constructs that have been developed and field-tested. This is even more important given that early identification relies on the timely discernment and recognition of a variety of symptomatic presentations which are typically subclinical in terms of intensity or frequency of signs and symptoms. This overview will offer an updated conceptual map of the field.