The state of prevention in psychiatry is examined in four ways in this article. The first impression is negative, generated by dissatisfaction with the sluggish pace of development in understanding psychiatric disorders and the lack of promise in prevention. The second look is a little more haughty. It characterises and acknowledges what has been accomplished thus far. The third and fourth viewpoints, which are both hopeful, herald a new era in research and prevention. Within the next 10-15 years, breakthroughs that are already visible on the horizon will turn the prevention of psychiatric disorders into a success story.
