Genetic Approaches in the Prevention of Mental Disorders

At least 40 million people in the worId suffer from the most severe forms of mental disorder such as schizophrenia and some 300 million more are affected by less severe but still incapacitating forms of these conditions, including, for example, drug and alcohol dependence and the consequences of brain trauma. The enor­ mous magnitude of human suffering and the economic losses usually linked of these disorders make them a problem of major public health importance. Recent years have brought with