A 17-year-old, who was previously a high-achieving and social student, begins to experience a noticeable decline in academic performance, withdraws from friends, and sometimes speaks in a way that is vague and difficult to follow. Research in psychology focuses on identifying individuals with these types of early, subtle warning signs to understand who might be at high risk for developing a more severe psychological disorder later. Based on the goal of this research, what is the most significant potential benefit of providing a supportive intervention (like therapy and stress management) to this individual now, as opposed to waiting for more severe symptoms to appear? Justify your reasoning.