Schizophrenia in Children

Schizophrenia in Children

Introduction

Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder. Schizophrenic patients encounter unusual feelings, emotions and thoughts along with abnormal behavior. This disorder is rarelydiagnosed in children. In early stage it is difficult to diagnose.In young Adults schizophreniaemerges as an acutepsychotic episode. Schizophrenia in children is also called as early-onset schizophrenia or childhood-onset schizophrenia. It is similar to schizophreniain adults.

Children suffering from schizophrenia may age as young as ten years or even younger. Schizophrenia in children affects child's functioning greatly. It causes developmental disturbance in children such as language/speech and motor development.These developmental difficulties are linked toother abnormalities in brain. The diagnosticcriteria for the diagnosis of schizophrenia aresame as of adults except early onset. Schizophrenic children mostly view and hear unexacting things and experience bizarre andparanoid feelings. Inability to concentrate, impaired reasoning and memory, flat affect,speech impairment, flattened or inappropriateemotions and expression, depression and poor communication skills arethe symptoms of childhood schizophrenia.

Causes of schizophrenia are still undiscovered.According to some current findings a combination of factors may cause schizophrenia including biochemical, genetic, environmental and changes in the physiology of brain. Schizophrenia cannot be completely cured, although it can be managed and controlled. Schizophrenic child may display behavioral changes for example a child suffering from schizophrenia may become shy or isolated and seem to be in his own world. Additionally a child may begin uttering unusually and unexpected things. Their speech may make no sense to others. Many a time, school teacher first notices such signs of schizophrenia in children.

Schizophrenic patient experiences hallucination, delusions, irrational thinking,bizarre thinking and inability to perform daily routine tasks such as, cleaning. The point when symptoms begin in early age they have a tendency to develop quite continuously. Parents and relatives might at first cognizant of something that is wrong, however can't characterize or identify ...