Debate: Child and adolescent mental health services: time to take the lead in prevention of psychosis in youth

Abstract

Children and adolescents are at risk of developing mental disorders that have lifelong consequences. This debate piece argues that youth meeting the criteria for clinical high risk for psychosis cannot be assessed and treated with the same tools as adults, given that they often present with different patterns and timecourse of symptoms, age‐specific comorbidities and follow different pathways to care. It looks at the key role that Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and other professionals can play by using an age‐specific approach to detecting and preventing psychosis.