Cited by 701Mental Health Treatment and AccessChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentSchizophrenia research and treatment

Adult mental health disorders and their age at onset

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Jones, P. B.·2013·British Journal of Psychiatry

Abstract

Summary: The study of age at onset of mental health disorders is technically and conceptually difficult. It is important to consider these age distributions in order to understand causes and mechanisms of illness and to intervene at an appropriate juncture for primary and secondary prevention. This article reviews some of the approaches to studying age at onset, sets out the evidence to support the assertion that adult mental disorders begin in adolescence, and finds that perhaps half of all adult mental health disorders have begun by the teenage years. The paper then discusses whether this fits what is known about the developmental neurobiology of the brain and introduces the implications for mental health services.

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Crossref · 10.1192/bjp.bp.112.119164

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53 of 53 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • A further phase of significant neurobiological changes is from mid-childhood through pubescence to mid-20s (second-wave hits), when the risk of disorder onset is the highest.

    “A further phase of significant neurobiological changes is from mid-childhood through pubescence to mid-20s (second-wave hits) 47 , when the risk of disorder onset is the highest.”
  • Neurobiologically, it takes as long as three decades for mature human brain development, which coincides with the age of onset of psychopathology for young people.

    “Neurobiologically, it takes as long as three decades for mature human brain development, which coincides with the age of onset of psychopathology for young people 7,47 .”
  • Clinical staging models integrate these epidemiological and neurobiological findings.

    “Clinical staging models 53 integrate these epidemiological and neurobiological findings (Figure 2) 47 .”

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Ha ¨fner H, Behrens S, de Vry J, Gattaz WF, Lo ¨ffler W, Maurer K, et al. Warum erkranken Frauen spa ¨ter an Schizophrenie? Nervenheilkunde 1991; 10: 154-63.

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Authors
Jones, P. B.
Affiliations
University of Cambridge (GB)
Corresponding author
Jones, P. B.
Venue
British Journal of Psychiatry
Published
2013-01
Volume
202
Issue
s54
Pages
s5-s10
ISSN
  • 0007-1250 (ISSN-L)
  • 1472-1465
OpenAlex
W2170279894
Cited by
701
References
53
Citations by year
2026: 39 · 2025: 67 · 2024: 74 · 2023: 72 · 2022: 84 · 2021: 91 · 2020: 76 · 2019: 51 · 2018: 39 · 2017: 35 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 13
FWCI
3.17
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • The British Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Wellcome Trust
  • National Institute for Health and Care Research (RP-PG-0606-1335, NF-SI-0509-10215)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
Keywords
age of onset, adult mental disorders, adolescence, developmental neuroscience, primary prevention, secondary prevention, mental health services
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Anxiety Disorders, Mental Disorders, Brain, Child, Depressive Disorder, Epidemiologic Methods, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Health Services, Middle Aged, Risk Factors, Schizophrenia, Age of Onset, Young Adult

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