Early intervention for depression in young people: a blind spot in mental health care

Abstract

Depression is a major contributor to disability across the lifespan. As a disorder that commonly has its onset in adolescence and early adulthood, and high recurrence and persistence, it is a prime candidate for early intervention. Most of the early intervention focus, however, has been confined to indicated prevention efforts. In this Personal View, we argue that early intervention for depression must expand beyond this narrow focus to include young people (aged 12-25 years old) who present with early episodes of full-threshold major depressive disorder. We discuss the development of enhanced primary care services for youth mental health, which allow young people improved access to evidence-based care. We argue that young people with severe and complex depression require particular attention: they are at high risk of lifelong disabling illness and need support to alleviate the early effects of their illnesses on their functional trajectories.