TY - JOUR
T1 - Age of onset of mental disorders
T2 - A review of recent literature
AU - Kessler, Ronald C.
AU - Amminger, G. Paul
AU - Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio
AU - Alonso, Jordi
AU - Lee, Sing
AU - Üstün, T. Bedirhan
PY - 2007/7
Y1 - 2007/7
N2 - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The aim of this article is to review recent epidemiological research on age-of-onset of mental disorders, focusing on the WHO World Mental Health surveys. RECENT FINDINGS: Median and inter-quartile range (IQR; 25th-75th percentiles) of age-of-onset is much earlier for phobias (7-14, IQR 4-20) and impulse-control disorders (7-15; IQR 4-35) than other anxiety disorders (25-53, IQR 15-75), mood disorders (25-45, IQR 17-65), and substance disorders (18-29, IQR 16-43). Although less data exist for nonaffective psychosis, available evidence suggests that median age-of-onset is in the range late teens through early 20s. Roughly half of all lifetime mental disorders in most studies start by the mid-teens and three quarters by the mid-20s. Later onsets are mostly secondary conditions. Severe disorders are typically preceded by less severe disorders that are seldom brought to clinical attention. SUMMARY: First onset of mental disorders usually occur in childhood or adolescence, although treatment typically does not occur until a number of years later. Although interventions with early incipient disorders might help reduce severity-persistence of primary disorders and prevent secondary disorders, additional research is needed on appropriate treatments for early incipient cases and on long-term evaluation of the effects of early intervention on secondary prevention.
AB - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The aim of this article is to review recent epidemiological research on age-of-onset of mental disorders, focusing on the WHO World Mental Health surveys. RECENT FINDINGS: Median and inter-quartile range (IQR; 25th-75th percentiles) of age-of-onset is much earlier for phobias (7-14, IQR 4-20) and impulse-control disorders (7-15; IQR 4-35) than other anxiety disorders (25-53, IQR 15-75), mood disorders (25-45, IQR 17-65), and substance disorders (18-29, IQR 16-43). Although less data exist for nonaffective psychosis, available evidence suggests that median age-of-onset is in the range late teens through early 20s. Roughly half of all lifetime mental disorders in most studies start by the mid-teens and three quarters by the mid-20s. Later onsets are mostly secondary conditions. Severe disorders are typically preceded by less severe disorders that are seldom brought to clinical attention. SUMMARY: First onset of mental disorders usually occur in childhood or adolescence, although treatment typically does not occur until a number of years later. Although interventions with early incipient disorders might help reduce severity-persistence of primary disorders and prevent secondary disorders, additional research is needed on appropriate treatments for early incipient cases and on long-term evaluation of the effects of early intervention on secondary prevention.
KW - Age of onset
KW - Early intervention
KW - Mental disorders
KW - Prevention
KW - WHO world mental health survey initiative
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U2 - 10.1097/YCO.0b013e32816ebc8c
DO - 10.1097/YCO.0b013e32816ebc8c
M3 - Article
C2 - 17551351
AN - SCOPUS:34249980658
VL - 20
SP - 359
EP - 364
JO - Current Opinion in Psychiatry
JF - Current Opinion in Psychiatry
SN - 0951-7367
IS - 4
ER -