Early identification of the prodromal phase of bipolar

The early psychosis literature has represented a major shift in both research and practice in terms of the timing of initial intervention in relation to the presentation of disorder. This literature has highlighted the undifferentiated nature of psychosis in the young. However, most of the literature and content of the psycho-educational intervention anticipates schizophreniform illness. This paper aims to redress the imbalance, which has hitherto neglected the mood disorders, both as a cause of psychosis and non-specific functional impairment in the young. A detailed examination of the prodromal phenomenology of mood disorders will be presented with special reference to the age groups 12–18 years in an inpatient population. The authors propose that service development and individual clinical practice should reflect this often overlooked group for whom interventions are all too often unnecessarily delayed.