Objective psychiatric biomarkers

Psychiatry remains one of the few medical specialties without reliable objective diagnostic biomarkers. Current diagnosis relies on subjective symptom checklists (PHQ-9, HAM-D), leading to heterogeneous patient groups and imprecise treatment selection. Candidate biomarkers span inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6), HPA axis dysregulation (cortisol), neuroimaging signatures, EEG patterns, and digital phenotyping from smartphone data. No single biomarker or panel has achieved sufficient sensitivity and specificity for clinical adoption.