ABSTRACT
The idea of early intervention in psychosis has emerged and developed rapidly during the past decade-a kind of ‘movement’ seemed to develop with the energetic Professor Patrick McGorry from Melbourne, Australia, as its initiator. Meetings of the International Early Psychosis Association (IEPA) are arranged regularly and early-detection services are evolving all over the world. The idea of early intervention has brought new concepts into the field of psychiatric discourse on psychosis, such as primary prevention, at-risk mental states, etc. This calls for analysis of the concepts that are being used. This chapter is largely based on a review on conceptual and ethical problems related to early intervention and/or prevention of psychosis by Heinemaa and Larsen,1 published recently in Current Opinion in Psychiatry. Some aspects will be elaborated and a new concept (hypopsychosis) related to the description of possible presages to psychosis will be introduced.
