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Free keywords:
Epidemiology, Mental Disorders, Prevalence, Course, Etiology
Abstract:
The "Early Developmental Stages of Psychopathology (EDSP)" study is a
prospective-longitudinal study program in a community sample (Munich,
Germany) of adolescents and young adults. The program was launched in
1994 to study the prevalence and incidence of psychopathological
syndromes and mental disorders, to describe the natural course and to
identify vulnerability and risk factors for onset and progression as
well as psychosocial consequences. This paper reviews methods and core
outcomes of this study program.
The EDSP is based on an age-stratified random community sample of
originally N = 3021 subjects aged 14-24 years at baseline, followed up
over 10 years with up to 3 follow-up waves. The program includes a
family genetic supplement and nested cohorts with lab assessments
including blood samples for genetic analyses. Psychopathology was
assessed with the DSM-IV/M-CIDI; embedded dimensional scales and
instruments assessed vulnerability and risk factors.
Beyond the provision of age-specific prevalence and incidence rates for
a wide range of mental disorders, analyses of their patterns of onset,
course and interrelationships, the program identified common and
diagnosis-specific distal and proximal vulnerability and risk factors
including critical interactions.
The EDSP study advanced our knowledge on the developmental pathways and
trajectories, symptom progression and unfolding of disorder comorbidity,
highlighting the dynamic nature of many disorders and their
determinants. The results have been instrumental for defining more
appropriate diagnostic thresholds, led to the derivation of symptom
progression models and were helpful to identify promising targets for
prevention and intervention.
