Intervention in the at-risk state to prevent transition to psychosis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The number of intervention studies aiming to prevent psychosis is still small. Follow-up data of the first studies were published during the last year and neuroprotection has become an important issue. RECENT FINDINGS: Initially superior effects of pharmacological or cognitive intervention reported by the first studies in the field became less clear about 3 years after cessation of intervention; however, a common problem of these first trials is a small sample size resulting in a lack of sufficient statistical power. The first studies of interventions thought to act as primarily neuroprotective yielded promising findings; however, further studies are needed to evaluate the preventive as well as the neuroprotective efficacy of these approaches. SUMMARY: Besides methodologically sound studies, improved enrichment strategies are required as well as risk-adapted intervention strategies, guided by evidence-based clinical staging algorithms. Furthermore, the current concept of psychosis prevention, requiring an intervention to show long-lasting effects even after cessation, needs reconsideration. Approaches as used for relapse prevention in psychosis or for chronic at-risk states in internal medicine may help to maintain the initial superior prophylactic effects.