Abstract
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.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 359-364 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Current Opinion in Psychiatry |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jul 2007 |
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Keywords
- Age of onset
- Early intervention
- Mental disorders
- Prevention
- WHO world mental health survey initiative
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
Cite this
Age of onset of mental disorders : A review of recent literature. / Kessler, Ronald C.; Amminger, G. Paul; Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio; Alonso, Jordi; Lee, Sing; Üstün, T. Bedirhan.
In: Current Opinion in Psychiatry, Vol. 20, No. 4, 07.2007, p. 359-364.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
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
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34249980658&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=34249980658&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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 -