Early risk factors in early-onset psychosis

Adolescence is associated with unique neural, social, and cognitive changes, that support the transition to the demands and opportunities of adulthood. However, adolescence is also linked with a vulnerability to psychopathology, including psychosis. The risk for psychosis is multifaceted, and one complicating factor is that risk is not uniform across the lifespan. This chapter will consider three periods of the increased vulnerability prior to the average age of onset of psychosis: conception, with the instantiation of genetic risk; pre- and peri-natal periods; and adolescence. I will review biological, psychological, and social risk factors that span these time periods. The goal is to provide a comprehensive overview of the experiences, influences, and neural changes that may contribute to increases in risk for psychosis spectrum disorders such as schizophrenia, with a particular focus on factors relevant for adolescent early-onset psychosis (i.e., the onset of illness before 18 years of age).