What Is Childhood Onset Schizophrenia?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Schizophrenia signs and symptoms in children and teenagers are similar to those in adults, but the condition may be more difficult to recognize in this age group. Early signs and symptoms may include

problems with thinking, behavior and emotions

. Thinking: Problems with thinking and reasoning.

What are the main features of childhood onset schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia signs and symptoms in children and teenagers are similar to those in adults, but the condition may be more difficult to recognize in this age group. Early signs and symptoms may include

problems with thinking, behavior and emotions

. Thinking: Problems with thinking and reasoning.

Are there signs of schizophrenia in childhood?

Children with

schizophrenia have the same symptoms as adults with the condition

. But more children hear voices. Children also don’t tend to have delusions or formal thought problems until they are in their teens or older. These symptoms may look like other health problems.

How rare is childhood onset schizophrenia?

Childhood-Onset Schizophrenia (COS) is an extraordinarily rare illness with an

incidence less than 0.04%

. In both healthy children and children with a variety of other psychiatric illnesses, hallucinations are not uncommon; diagnosis should not be based on these alone.

Who is at risk for childhood onset schizophrenia?

Childhood schizophrenia is a mental illness that affects

children under the age of 13

. Risk factors include brain structure and family history.

Is schizophrenia passed from the mother or father?

You’re more likely to get schizophrenia if someone in your family has it. If it’s a parent, brother, or sister,

your chances go up by 10%

. If both your parents have it, you have a 40% chance of getting it.

What is the youngest person to be diagnosed with schizophrenia?

May 13, 2014— — Susan and Michael Schofield have no letup in their grueling day –-

11-year-old Jani

is one of the youngest children ever to be treated for schizophrenia, and now her 6-year-old brother Bodhi, though not officially diagnosed with the same disorder, has violent outbursts and self-harming behavior that …

Who is prone to schizophrenia?

Although schizophrenia can occur at any age, the average age of onset tends to be in the late teens to the early 20s for men, and the late 20s to early 30s for women. It is uncommon for schizophrenia to be diagnosed in a person

younger than 12 or older than 40

. It is possible to live well with schizophrenia.

Can childhood schizophrenia go away?

It’s also called childhood-onset or very early onset schizophrenia. The disorder is rare and may be hard to spot.

There’s no cure, but treatment can help

.

What are warning signs of schizophrenia?

  • Depression, social withdrawal.
  • Hostility or suspiciousness, extreme reaction to criticism.
  • Deterioration of personal hygiene.
  • Flat, expressionless gaze.
  • Inability to cry or express joy or inappropriate laughter or crying.
  • Oversleeping or insomnia; forgetful, unable to concentrate.

Do schizophrenics say weird things?

If you have schizophrenia, however, you may actually hear people saying

things that are critical or insulting when

those conversations aren’t really taking place. That would be a type of auditory hallucination.

At what age does schizoaffective disorder develop?

Who gets schizoaffective disorder? The condition usually begins in

the late teens or early adulthood, up to age 30

. It rarely occurs in children. Studies suggest the disorder is more likely to occur in women than men.

What are 4 symptoms of schizophrenia?

  • Delusions. These are false beliefs that are not based in reality. …
  • Hallucinations. These usually involve seeing or hearing things that don’t exist. …
  • Disorganized thinking (speech). …
  • Extremely disorganized or abnormal motor behavior. …
  • Negative symptoms.

What is the most common cognitive symptom of schizophrenia?


Poor learning and retention of verbal information

is a hallmark cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. Along with executive functioning deficits, impaired ability to encode and retain verbally presented information is one of the most consistent findings across research studies.

How does schizophrenia start out?

Your brain changes and develops a lot

during puberty

. These shifts might trigger the disease in people who are at risk for it. Some scientists believe it has to do with development in an area of the brain called the frontal cortex.

Are you born with schizophrenia?

Genetics. Schizophrenia tends to run in

families

, but no single gene is thought to be responsible. It’s more likely that different combinations of genes make people more vulnerable to the condition.

Maria LaPaige
Author
Maria LaPaige
Maria is a parenting expert and mother of three. She has written several books on parenting and child development, and has been featured in various parenting magazines. Maria's practical approach to family life has helped many parents navigate the ups and downs of raising children.