Typically characterized by delusions, paranoia, and auditory and/or visual hallucinations, not to be confused with autism. Difficult to diagnose because of a child's imagination, and differentiated from schizophrenia- which has an early adult-hood onset. May also have a separate etiology as psychosis in adulthood and adolescence. See the DSM-IV for more info.
Childhood schizophrenia is defined as a case of schizophrenia in a person younger than 13 (or, more rarely, 18) years old. Only about 2 percent of cases of schizophrenia occur in people under the age of 13.
Sheila Cantor has written: 'Childhood schizophrenia' -- subject(s): Childhood Schizophrenia, Schizophrenia in children
Although it was once thought that a bad childhood could cause schizophrenia, the current understanding of schizophrenia is of a primarily neurological disease.
Elaine Yudkovitz has written: 'Communication therapy in childhood schizophrenia' -- subject(s): Child psychotherapy, Childhood Schizophrenia, Communication, Interpersonal communication, Language disorders, Schizophrenia in children, Schizophrenic Language, Therapy
More information about childhood schizophrenia can be found by talking to a psychiatrist. They will be best able to answer questions about a specific case, as the details of each case vary based on the person afflicted by it.
Freud would say that schizophrenia was caused by a dysfunctional family or childhood trauma that manifested in adulthood as schizophrenia. Poor family relationships can affect the way that a child perceives reality and interacts with the world.
Because schizophrenia and autism, while very similar in certain ways, are discrete diseases. When autism was first described, doctors thought that it was the same disease. Now, as we know more about both diseases, we see that they are fundamentally different.
Dissociative Identity Disorder is thought to stem from severe, ongoing childhood trauma, whereas schizophrenia usually manifests in the late teens to early 20's. While they sometimes occur in the same person, they are not related disorders and no causality is presently known.Additional info:The answer to the question "what is similar about DID and schizophrenia?" gives different information that sounds more reliable:Although so-called schizophrenia is said to be a brain disease, while DID is acknowledged to be a psychological reaction to traumatic life events, so far no evidence has been found to support this distinction, and prove the brain disease hypothesis of schizophrenia to be true. In fact, newer research strongly indicates that both are caused by childhood trauma. Dissociation is not restricted to DID, but can be observed in schizophrenia as well. If a person is labelled with schizophrenia or DID depends on to which extent dissociation in relation to other trauma responses is predominant. If a fight, flight, or freeze response is predominant, the person will most likely be labelled with schizophrenia. If dissociation is the predominant feature she will probably be labelled with DID.
Yes. Schizophrenia is partly genetic, meaning that if you have a relative with schizophrenia you are likely to also have schizophrenia. About 1/10 of people with a relative with schizophrenia develop schizophrenia, compared to 1/100 people without a relative with schizophrenia.
People with schizophrenia usually have normal cognitive function at the beginning of the course of schizophrenia.
Residual schizophrenia is caused by a partial recovery from schizophrenia. For an explanation of what causes schizophrenia, please see the related question.
Teenagers and young adults are most likely to get schizophrenia. Women with schizophrenia are more likely to have less severe schizophrenia and have paranoid schizophrenia, as well as developing schizophrenia at an average age of 25; men have a more severe course, with higher rates of disorganized and catatonic schizophrenia as well as developing schizophrenia at the average age of 18.
Catatonic schizophrenia.