Nearly 75% of mental health conditions begin before the age of 25 years. The disability associated with mental health problems is well established, with depression as the leading cause worldwide. In youth and emerging adults, the top causes of disability in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries are primarily disorders of mental health, including those that typically present with a first episode of psychosis, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. A clinically useful prediction algorithm that is able to inform functioning (a major determinant of disability) in early phases of these disorders might be tremendously useful.