Psychosis in Children and Youth: Focus on Early-Onset Schizophrenia

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

In the history of psychiatry, the words mad and psychosis have often been used interchangeably, negatively contributing to the stigma associated with the term and the illness itself.In truth, psychosis is simply a word that refers to the experience of being unable to distinguish what is real from what is unreal. Schizophrenia, the most chronic of the primary psychotic disorders, is marked not only by the psychotic symptoms but also by a constellation of other neuropsychiatric symptoms.The symptoms of schizophrenia that have their onset in adolescence or early adulthood (age older than 13 years) (EOS) often are clustered into 4 distinct symptom domains:It seems that the psychotic symptoms follow an independent course over time compared with the negative or cognitive symptoms. (3) VEOS is associated with greater familial vulnerability and a worse prognosis. Many of these children are mistakenly identified as having a PDD, such as autism or Asperger syndrome, because of similarities in presentation, such as echolalia, arm flapping, and social isolation.It is clear that VEOS is an illness of atypical features compared with EOS, marked by earlier and more severe disruption of brain development. Some of these youth may have associated with other psychiatric conditions or and this illness such potential for morbidity in the identification of those who make a to a psychotic disorder is The in a true symptom of risk from in behavior common in of as of risk include those associated with or grandiose behavior unusual of and disorganized These must be with other of the these are and the the psychotic in and also cause the youth may have a psychotic In these cases, to other causes of the an should be that the of these are and the severity of the psychosis a for psychiatric is the youth with symptoms severe to his or her or that of or to the youth at risk for mental an to the may be for symptom and of however, of EOS in the in with and is always there seems to be a in the of schizophrenia over the prevalence The risk of schizophrenia is per with an estimated prevalence of about 4 per of EOS and schizophrenia in is with an earlier onset of illness in (age years) compared with (age tend to have a more severe illness course and worse In schizophrenia is an illness of youth in their of schizophrenia seems to a of the of and which is independent of has been that the in these may be associated with the of social and or of however, of these associations has been the prevalence

Key findings

• In the history of psychiatry, the words mad and psychosis have often been used interchangeably, negatively contributing to the stigma associated with the term and the illness itself.In truth, psychosis is simply a word that refers to the experience of being unable to distinguish what is real from what is unreal.
• Schizophrenia, the most chronic of the primary psychotic disorders, is marked not only by the psychotic symptoms but also by a constellation of other neuropsychiatric symptoms.The symptoms of schizophrenia that have their onset in adolescence or early adulthood (age older than 13 years) (EOS) often are clustered into 4 distinct symptom domains:It seems that the psychotic symptoms follow an independent course over time compared with the negative or cognitive symptoms.
• (3) VEOS is associated with greater familial vulnerability and a worse prognosis.
• Many of these children are mistakenly identified as having a PDD, such as autism or Asperger syndrome, because of similarities in presentation, such as echolalia, arm flapping, and social isolation.It is clear that VEOS is an illness of atypical features compared with EOS, marked by earlier and more severe disruption of brain development.
• Some of these youth may have associated with other psychiatric conditions or and this illness such potential for morbidity in the identification of those who make a to a psychotic disorder is The in a true symptom of risk from in behavior common in of as of risk include those associated with or gran

Why it matters

This paper reviews psychosis in children and youth with a focus on early-onset schizophrenia, noting that very early onset schizophrenia is associated with greater familial vulnerability and a worse prognosis. It also notes that many of these children are mistakenly identified as having a pervasive developmental disorder because of similarities in presentation.

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Study details

• Evidence strengthLow

Read the original

• DOI: 10.1542/pir.34.7.296
• Original source →

May need a subscription OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 6 Feb 1020), so the publisher may charge for it.

@article{abidi2013-5e23a1b9,
  author  = {Abidi, Sabina},
  title   = {{Psychosis in Children and Youth: Focus on Early-Onset Schizophrenia}},
  journal = {Pediatrics in Review},
  year    = {2013},
  doi     = {10.1542/pir.34.7.296},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1542/pir.34.7.296}
}

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