Intervention research in psychosis: Prevention trials

Prevention trials have not been a central focus in mental health research i n general and in the psychoses in particular. In this article we provide th e basis for development of a model for prevention trials, define the parame ters of the model, and provide some illustrative examples. The article expa nds upon traditional approaches to prevention by incorporating perspectives from the fields of treatment and services research. Approaches to preventi on are based upon models of etiology, pathophysiology, and risk. A number o f barriers to the development of a major emphasis on prevention are identif ied, and those that are embedded in the infrastructure of the field are hig hlighted.