Scientist find new clue to spot mental health risk

A recent study has revealed a lead to identifying individuals at risk of developing psychotic disorders or bipolar disorder.

Psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder are severe mental health conditions that often begin in adolescence or early adulthood.

Early detection is critical as timely support can prevent illness onset and improve long-term outcomes.

Until now, clinicians have faced challenges in predicting who might develop these conditions, relying on fragmented assessment tools that focus on one disorder at a time.

The research, led by experts from the University of Oxford and King’s College London and supported by the NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre (OH BRC) and published in The Lancet Psychiatry introduces a clinical prediction model that could transform early intervention in mental health care.

This new model takes a transdiagnostic approach, meaning it predicts risk for both psychosis and bipolar disorder together.

By analysing routinely collected health data, the model provides clinicians with an evidence-based tool to identify high-risk individuals earlier and more accurately.

This study is one of the largest investigations of its kind as it analysed de-identified electronic health records from thousands of patients across multiple UK sites.

The model demonstrated strong predictive accuracy and outperforming existing single-disorder tools.

It also uses data that is already available in healthcare systems, such as previous mental health consultations and demographic information, making it practical for real-world clinical use.