How schizophrenia is diagnosed in children. Signs and symptoms of childhood schizophrenia

Until the first half of the 20th century, it was believed that childhood schizophrenia did not exist. This disease, with all its symptoms and signs, can only be in adults, starting either in adolescence or adulthood. However, cases of childhood schizophrenia were then noted, developing for an understandable reason - heredity. There have even been cases of schizophrenia in children under 1 year old, which also needs to be treated.

On the one hand, it is easy for psychiatrists to diagnose schizophrenia in children because they do not hide their emotions and feelings. On the other hand, it becomes difficult to recognize a schizophrenic disease for the reasons that the inner world of a child is poor and undefined. Previously, signs of schizophrenia were attributed to the manifestation of other mental illnesses.

Childhood schizophrenia is perceived as an early manifestation of the disease, and not as an independent form of the disease. Its occurrence is attributed to the fact that the child's family already had personalities with mental schizophrenic disabilities. The closer in blood a relative with schizophrenia is, the greater the child's risk of developing the disease. It ranges from 2 to 13 percent.

What is childhood schizophrenia?

Mental health site site provides an answer to the question: what is childhood schizophrenia? It is a mental illness that affects parts of the brain that are responsible for the cognitive and emotional spheres. The main psychotic symptoms of the disease are:

• Inappropriate emotional responses.
• Social dysfunction.
• Disorganized behavior.
• Thinking disorder.
• Loss of will.

Childhood schizophrenia occurs in 1% of cases. The child is worried, paranoia,. He hears voices that others cannot hear, and sees visions. Only with borderline disorder could a child have previously been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Prior to this, all symptoms of the disease were attributed to other mental illnesses.

It is necessary to distinguish childhood schizophrenia from another common disease of children -. With schizophrenia, the following signs are noted:

1. There are stages of remission and relapse.
2. Delusions and hallucinations occur.
3. There are violations in the intellectual process.
4. Deviations in social interaction and speech development develop.

If the baby has schizophrenics in the family, then strange symptoms that appear may indicate the onset of an illness in the child. At the initial stage, schizophrenia manifests itself in the following symptoms:

• The kid hears and sees things that others do not see or hear.
• The incoherence of speech is noted.
• Problems arise related to study, sleep, concentration.
• Periods of remission are marked by relapses, when the child begins to jump from thought to thought, not related to each other.
• There is a reluctance to communicate.
• The child thinks that he is being watched, he thinks that he has superhuman abilities.
• Unpredictability, tendency to aggression, suicide.

Specialists identify the forms in which childhood schizophrenia often manifests itself. They are as follows:

1. Hebephrenic schizophrenia is a rapid development and continuous course. Emotions and will suffer, while hallucinations and delusions are poorly expressed. The child becomes silly, noisy and grimacing. He cannot collect his thoughts and build a sequence of movements. Emotions quickly jump from one to the other: from aggression to benevolence.
2. Catatonic schizophrenia. The onset of the disease is manifested in the monotony of hand movements and playing with toys, in refusal to communicate and frequent driving into a corner. The sudden onset of stupor is accompanied by freezing in one unnatural position, when the muscles are tense, while not responding to external stimuli. Emotions become unnatural in the setting. If the muscles become plastic, then the child can be given a different position. Stupor turns into excitement with the manifestation of aggression on the first person who comes across and erratic movements.
3. Simple schizophrenia occurs during adolescence and develops gradually. Delusions and hallucinations are not noted, interest in incoherent reasoning and unusual hobbies is shown. Over time, emotions become poor, isolation and lack of initiative appear. The child loses the desire to communicate with relatives and friends, getting good grades, creating a family, work, etc. Even if he goes to college, he quickly loses interest in learning. Reasoning about the world order is not connected with reality.
4. Pfropfschizophrenia is a grafted schizophrenia. A combination of mental retardation and schizophrenia. Rapid development in adolescence also leads to lethargy.

Causes of childhood schizophrenia

Scientists usually pay attention to schizophrenia in adulthood. The emergence of childhood schizophrenia raises many questions about its causes. Why does childhood schizophrenia develop? Scientists still have to find an answer to this question, but for now the following factors are being put forward:

• Heredity. If there are schizophrenics in the family, then the child also has a risk of developing the disease at an early age. The closer a given blood relative, the higher the percentage of probability.
• The course of pregnancy. What kind of life did the mother lead while she was pregnant with the baby? What diseases worried her during this period? All this can also affect the condition of the child. There are also statistics that show that late pregnancy affects the mental health of the baby. The birth of a child after 35 years in 48% leads to mental disorders.
• The environment for the growth and education of the baby. Schizophrenia can acquire a vaccinated character, that is, the child was forced to develop symptoms of the disease. Severe stressful shocks for a child are detrimental.
• Overweight, chronic, severe malnutrition during pregnancy. This is not about the scarcity of the diet, which is possible in the current economy. This refers to constant malnutrition when the mother is hungry.
• Psychotropic drugs. If a teenager is addicted to alcohol or drugs, then various mental disorders may develop.
• Viral infections during pregnancy that have entered the fetus.

For the most part, the causes of childhood schizophrenia overlap with the factors that trigger the disease in adults. It should be borne in mind that these factors do not always lead to schizophrenia. There are cases when a healthy baby is born in a schizophrenic family. With a poor nutrition of a woman, a full-fledged child appears. And with a loud divorce of parents, the baby does not react in any way.

Signs and symptoms of childhood schizophrenia

Childhood schizophrenia develops gradually, without sudden attacks. Symptoms and signs begin to manifest in behavioral changes and learning disabilities. With the gradual development of schizophrenia, the child loses his personality and stops learning.

To diagnose childhood schizophrenia, symptoms must be observed for 6 months continuously. For an initial diagnosis, the presence of at least two signs that appear within 1 month is suitable:

• Rave.
• Lack of will.
• Catatonia - stupor, immobility.
• Hallucinations.
• Disorganized speech and behavior.
• Alogy.
• Emotional depression.

Sometimes it is sufficient to identify hallucinations or delusions when the child hears voices.

A logical violation is noted up to 7 years. Hallucinations and delusions are difficult to detect at a younger age (they are usually mild). This is due to the fact that it is difficult to distinguish imagination from hallucination. The child may just fantasize. With hallucinations, he does not feel any discomfort, since he considers this to be a normal manifestation. The pictures themselves are childish in nature, which distinguishes them from adult hallucinations.

The main symptoms of childhood schizophrenia are:

1. Delirium and incoherent thinking that distorts the perception of the real world.
2. Hallucinations are seeing and hearing something that doesn't exist. In 80% of cases up to 11 years of age, children suffer from auditory hallucinations.
3. Thinking disorder.
4. Behavioral problems.
5. Suicidal tendencies.
6. Paranoia, when a child thinks that everyone thinks badly of him.
7. Indifference to your appearance.
8. Voluntary isolation from parents and socializing with friends. Volitional decline, when the child loses interest not only in the environment, but also in activities, games, etc.
9. Anxiety and fear for no apparent reason.
10. A lingering tantrum that occurs suddenly. Impulsiveness. Inadequate emotional response.
11. Speech impairment when the child loses the ability to conduct meaningful dialogue.

Treatment of childhood schizophrenia

Until the age of 5, a doctor monitors the child's health. When strange symptoms are identified, he is engaged in the diagnosis and treatment of childhood schizophrenia. After 5 years of age, you should see a child psychiatrist. The first symptoms should prompt the parents to immediately take the baby to see a doctor for a diagnosis.

Treatment is medication and psychiatric. All directions, courses and dosages are prescribed exclusively by a psychiatrist. Parents are required only to have a friendly attitude towards the baby, creating an atmosphere of care and love.

Treatment of childhood schizophrenia is carried out on a stationary basis as needed. Prescribing drugs is determined by the severity of the disease, as well as the correlation of harm and benefit. The main emphasis is on psychotherapeutic work, when the child is helped to get rid of negative factors that affect his psyche.

Since the baby is still at a growing age, this allows for favorable predictions. On the one hand, his age can help in treatment when the child will quickly rebuild and become healthy. On the other hand, a growing body can make the disease worse.

Forecast

Psychiatrists cannot give unambiguously favorable predictions. Much depends on the factors that provoked childhood schizophrenia and the consequences. Mothers who love and care for their babies can prevent the development of the disease. Also, a favorable prognosis is made when there are no schizophrenics in the child's heredity.

Doctors can come to a positive result when treating a child when the following factors are observed:

1. Late onset of the disease.
2. A tendency to be sociable.
3. Acute onset of schizophrenia.
4. The emergence of an exacerbation after certain external factors.
5. Heightened, vivid emotions.
6. The presence of a profession, family.
7. The predominance of positive symptoms.
8. History of long-term remissions.

Life expectancy is affected by schizophrenia when it is severe.

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder for which the most pronounced disturbances in thought processes, emotional sphere and perception are most characteristic. According to statistics, men and women get sick with approximately equal frequency, while women are characterized by a slightly later manifestation of the disease. Adolescent schizophrenia is quite common, while childhood schizophrenia is extremely rare.

The symptoms of schizophrenia can be extremely diverse, but still, three groups of symptoms are generally accepted:

1. Positive (productive) symptoms - obsessions, hallucinations, delusions.
2. Negative symptoms are apathy, abulia (lack of will), a gradual loss of the so-called higher emotions and a gradual decrease in emotional responsiveness, poverty of speech, loss of the ability to have pleasure.
3. Cognitive impairments - thinking disorders, difficulty concentrating, various memory problems.

Diagnostics

The diagnosis is usually made on the basis of the data obtained in the process of interviewing the patient.

while also the behavior of the patient. If possible, the patient's story is supplemented by relatives, work colleagues or friends . Schizophrenia in children and adolescents requires careful questioning of parents, as well as checking the possibility of a hereditary origin of the disease.

A highly informative research method is magnetic resonance imaging, which allows you to detect changes in brain activity typical for schizophrenia, as well as to exclude the tumor origin of disturbing symptoms. It is also recommended to conduct a complete medical examination for the purpose of differential diagnosis with somatic diseases during which psychotic manifestations are possible.

The first manifestations of the disease in children

The first signs of the disease can be detected even in the first year of life, but most often the manifestation occurs at the age of 6-7 years. How schizophrenia manifests itself in children depends on the age at which the disease appeared. At the age of one to three years, signs of illness in a child can be: laughter that has no explanation, or vice versa, gratuitous tears, monotonous motor excitement - running in a circle or in an indefinite direction, aimless walking from side to side. At the same age, another disease with largely similar symptoms may appear - early childhood autism. RDA and early childhood schizophrenia have the following differences:

In preschool children, this disease can be suspected by a noticeable "dulling" of emotions - there is no change in the intonation of the voice and facial expression, even in cases that normally should cause a strong emotional response. A situation in which a healthy person would laugh, cry, experience fear or surprise, to a person with schizophrenia seems simply uninteresting and not worthy of attention.

Symptoms of schizophrenia in children can also include:

• The appearance of neologisms in the child's speech;
• The simultaneous emergence of several rows of thoughts that are not in any way connected with each other;
• Conflicting judgments;
• Difficulty making generalizations if necessary;
• Incoherent thinking;
• Indifference to your appearance;
• Apathy, unwillingness to do anything.

Drawings of children with schizophrenia are also noteworthy. Some characteristic features make it possible to suspect this disease at almost any age.

Drawings made by patients with schizophrenia may have the following symptoms:

• Constant repetitions of the same objects, images, the patient is often repeated in his drawings in one way or another;
• If we look at several pictures, then quite often you will notice that the plot of one of them penetrates into the plot of the other;
• The pictures may contain symbols that are understandable only to the patient;
• Living beings in the drawings of patients with schizophrenia are often represented by non-existent animals;
• If the drawing is colored, then the unusual combination of colors and the unnatural coloring of the depicted objects attracts attention;
• The abundance of incomplete, often incoherent elements in the drawing;
• Sometimes the patient may be irritated by a certain color, most often black or red.

Features of the manifestation of the disease in adolescence

In the case of adolescent schizophrenia, teachers often notice the first signs of the disease - they note a sharp decline in school performance, a loss of interest in sports, social activities, and a change in the range of interests. Patients begin to ignore basic hygiene procedures and lose interest in their favorite hobbies. The problem of alcoholism and drug addiction deserves a separate mention - on the one hand, the intake of alcohol and drugs can provoke the development of the disease, on the other hand, schizophrenic patients sometimes try to reduce negative symptoms with drugs or alcohol. The effectiveness of such drugs is very doubtful, to say the least - under the influence of amphetamine-type drugs, the symptoms of schizophrenia are usually exacerbated.

Signs of schizophrenia in a teenager can also include:

1. Sudden unreasonable mood swings;
2. Unreasonable nervousness, anxiety, aggressiveness;
3. Excessive agitation, or vice versa, a depressive state;
4. The rapid appearance of negative emotions;
5. Loss of appetite (in the absence of pathology of the digestive system);
6. With the progression of the disease, hallucinations and delusions are added.

Treatment

The patient can be treated both at home and in a psychiatric hospital (usually, inpatient treatment is needed only during an exacerbation, when the patient can be dangerous both for himself and for others). The treatment uses an integrated approach - a combination of pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy and social adaptation. Depending on the prevailing symptomatology and characteristics of the course of the disease in the treatment of schizophrenia, drugs of such pharmacological groups as anxiolytics (the more common name is tranquilizers), antidepressants, hypnotics, nootropics and neuroleptics can be used. The selection of specific drugs and their dosages is carried out by the attending physician individually for each patient.

Also, most specialists note a significant improvement in the quality of life of patients who have undergone courses of psychotherapy and social adaptation. Self-help groups make a significant contribution to treating schizophrenia, patients say. Not the last role in improving the quality of life is assigned to the patient's relatives, whose task is to create a favorable emotional background.

The most precious thing every parent has is their child, and the worst thing is when he is sick. Unfortunately, children, as well as adults, are not immune from various diseases and one should be mentally prepared for this. One of the rather serious diseases is schizophrenia in children. Pathology, at its first manifestations, confuses parents, but despite all the difficulties, it should be fought and won.

Schizophrenia concept

At its core, schizophrenia is a pathology that destroys the mental and emotional functions of the psyche, while intellectual inhibition does not always occur. In many cases, the child's intelligence remains unaffected. Moreover, quite a few celebrities are known who suffered from this pathology, among them: Bulgakov, Van Gogh, Gogol, Dostoevsky, Einstein and other, no less talented personalities.

Schizophrenia is a fairly common disease among all mental disorders, but no more than 1% of the population is affected by the disease.

Schizophrenia in children is divided into groups, depending on age:

The physiological immaturity of the child leads to difficulties in diagnosis, and in addition, parents are already treating children in a neglected form. The reason for this, as a rule, is the fear of admitting the presence of mental abnormalities in their child and the desire to cope with the problem themselves. As a result, the disease progresses without treatment and already in the period of a mental episode, an appeal to a specialist occurs.

What causes the disease?

The exact causes of the development of the disease, both in adult and childhood, remain to the end, have not been studied. The main theories of the occurrence of pathology are considered to be genetic disorders at the DNA level. As a rule, this applies to children whose parents or close blood relatives suffered from schizophrenia.

Also, an important fact is the violation of brain functions, namely the correct amount of production of substances such as dopamine, serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine.

Possible factors that are not the cause of the onset of the disease, but can become an impetus for its development in a child, include:

• late pregnancy;
• difficult psychological situation in the family (alcoholism, scandals, violence, divorce of parents);
• pathology of a woman, during gestation (viral infections, the use of drugs and alcohol, starvation).

Clinical manifestations

Children's schizophrenia can manifest itself in different symptoms, it all depends on the form of the pathology. In any case, all signs are usually divided into two groups:

• positive or productive symptoms;
• negative symptoms.

Productive traits are a collection of new processes in the psyche that should not be. Such symptoms are manifested by hallucinations, delusional thoughts and ideas, fears. The child perceives all this as reality.

Negative signs are characterized by the disappearance of personal qualities, which should be inherent in every person in a normal state. It manifests itself in disorders of thinking, degradation of motor functions, and various personal changes.

The first symptoms of pathology in children are manifested, as a rule, by the following signs:

If you notice at least five of the signs described above, you should seek the advice of a specialist, as they may be the first symptoms of the disease.

Note! If you notice any odd behavior, try keeping a diary in which you note those or other unusual moments. Such actions will help the therapist to compose a more complete picture of what is happening and, accordingly, to establish the correct diagnosis.

Symptoms depending on the form of pathology

Childhood schizophrenia can take different forms, depending on its manifestations:

Diagnostics

Schizophrenia in adolescents and adults has a more pronounced clinical picture, but for children, especially early and preschool age, a special approach with special techniques is required. The reason for this is physiological immaturity. Comprehensive diagnostics, in addition to detailed collection of anamnesis, includes various instrumental techniques and psychological testing. Among instrumental studies, there are:

Therapy

Children's schizophrenia can be treated both at home and in a hospital setting, it all depends on the form and period. So, during the period of the manifesto, when the symptoms are pronounced and can conceal danger, both for the patient himself and for others, the little patient is placed in a clinic, where he is constantly monitored. The child is in remission at home or in special rehabilitation centers.

The treatment process, when childhood schizophrenia is diagnosed, consists of drug therapy, family and individual psychotherapy, and special rehabilitation programs.

With regard to drug therapy, childhood schizophrenia is treated, as a rule, with psychotropic drugs - these are nootropic and neuroleptic drugs. Atypical antipsychotics (new generation) are becoming the mainstay of treatment, although typical ones are also not excluded.

Unfortunately, the drugs cannot completely get rid of the pathology, but they smooth out its symptoms as much as possible, which allows you to continue to lead a normal life during the period of remission. And the goal of treatment is to achieve high-quality and long-term remission, ideally without a recurrence of the mental episode.

Among the drugs, the most effective are recognized:

It is important to note that only a doctor should prescribe all drugs. And also it is impossible to independently change the dosage, start taking another medication or completely cancel the reception, since such actions will inevitably lead to a relapse of the schizoid episode.

Schizophrenia, which began in childhood, is rather difficult during the course, since, despite treatment, the pathology still progresses over the years. How quickly personal changes will occur depends primarily on the quality and timeliness of treatment. Of course, the form of schizophrenia also plays an important role. But in any case, a small patient needs not only therapy from the medical staff, but also parental support and understanding, only in this case a positive result can be achieved.

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- a mental illness of a chronic nature, which is characterized by combined signs - a violation in communication with others (autistic traits), dullness or complete absence of emotions, psychopathological symptoms (hallucinations and / or delusions). According to statistics, schizophrenia in childhood is diagnosed in 1.66% per thousand patients.

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Signs of schizophrenia in children

The mental disorder in question may appear in the first year of life, but most often the first symptoms are noted at the age of 7 years and older. Parents and others note that the child suddenly becomes withdrawn, he has no interest in familiar and previously pleasant things, and logical thinking is disturbed. In general, the childhood form of schizophrenia is quite diverse and its manifestations have their own characteristics in different periods of childhood.

At the age of 1 to 3 years, the mental state in question is manifested by catatonic seizures - there is a monotonous walking (for example, in a circle or along a certain trajectory), running in an indefinite direction, swinging in a sitting position from side to side or up / down, a sudden attack hysterical laughter or tears.

At an older age, anxiety may appear, the child is overcome with fears, against this background the ability to logically express his thoughts is lost, the child becomes withdrawn, stops communicating with friends and parents.

After 12 years, doctors note hallucinations and delusions against the background of the development of schizophrenia. It is noteworthy that even 30-40 years ago, adolescence was characterized by a hebephrenic form of the mental disorder in question (the child behaves silly, dresses awkwardly), now this type of schizophrenia is practically not diagnosed.

Schizophrenia in childhood is characterized by the absence of any emotions in the child. For example, if others laugh at an action or incident, then the sick child will not react at all.

The most severe type of schizophrenia in childhood is considered oligophrenic. It develops only with impaired cognitive abilities and is characteristic of those children in whom the mental illness in question develops in the first year of life.

If you clearly formulate the symptoms of schizophrenia in childhood, you get the following:

1. Paranoia. The child thinks and is sure that everyone around him thinks and speaks badly of him - parents, grandparents, friends in kindergarten or on the playground.
2. Hallucinations. In childhood, they are especially developed in schizophrenia - for example, a child can see what, by definition, cannot be.
3. Indifference to one's own appearance. Others note that the child is absolutely indifferent to hygiene procedures and persistently refuses to follow generally accepted rules - for example, he will not wash, wash his hands, may put on dirty or wrinkled clothes, go to bed right on the floor.
4. Fears and anxieties for no apparent reason. The child will complain about the presence of some monsters in the room, or claim that they are being watched by UFOs / monsters, and so on.
5. Voluntary isolation from age. This is considered one of the clearest signs of childhood schizophrenia - the child refuses to communicate with friends, avoids talking and being close to parents and close relatives.
6. Capriciousness. Of course, this phenomenon is inherent in all children, then those who are exposed to the mental disorder in question are inherent in sharp mood swings for quite obvious reasons. For example, refusal to buy him any toy turns into a long / protracted hysteria, turning into aggression.
7. Impaired speech. The child may lose the ability to conduct normal dialogue. Moreover, this can happen suddenly or gradually - the parents immediately notice that the baby, who already speaks several words and knows how to construct the simplest sentences, suddenly turns into a “puffing” baby.

Parents should understand that the above symptoms of childhood schizophrenia are very relative. For example, if a child is afraid to sleep in the dark because there is a "babayka" in the closet, this does not indicate a mental disorder. It is impossible to independently draw any conclusions about the usefulness of the development of the baby - you need to get advice from a specialist.

If at least 2-3 of the above signs are present, then it is worth starting a special parental diary and writing down all the changes that occur with the child in it. But this should only be done after visiting a doctor! Such records will allow not only parents to monitor changes in the behavior and development of the baby, but also facilitate the diagnosis process for the doctor - schizophrenia is confirmed only after long-term observation of the patient.

Causes of childhood schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is considered a well-known disease but still poorly understood. Not a single doctor or scientist will give an exact answer to the question of the causes of the appearance and development of childhood schizophrenia. Much depends on the hereditary factor, on how the mother's pregnancy went, in what environment the baby grows and is brought up. But some factors that can provoke the development of the mental illness in question can still be called:

1. The presence of diagnosed schizophrenia in first- and second-line relatives of the child.
2. Late pregnancy - according to statistics, among women over the age of 35, the risk of having a child with such a mental disorder is 48%, and the older the expectant mother, the higher this indicator becomes.
3. Unfavorable living conditions of the child. We are talking about powerful ones that can serve as an impetus for schizophrenic disorders - for example, loud and emotional divorce of parents, too harsh, domineering upbringing.
4. Malnutrition during pregnancy. This is not about the fact that a pregnant woman's diet is meager - this can happen to everyone in the current economic situation. Only chronic, full-fledged malnutrition can affect the birth of a child with schizophrenia.
5. Psychotropic drugs. If the child takes any drugs or abuses alcohol, then this can also provoke the development of the mental illness in question.

In no case should the listed factors be taken as true! Many cases have been recorded when absolutely healthy children were born in the presence of a schizophrenic patient in the family, even too "loud" divorce of parents may not affect the emotional / mental state of the child at all, and eating only one potato and bread can lead to the birth of a healthy and very well-nourished baby ...

Treatment of childhood schizophrenia

Schizophrenia in childhood should undergo complex treatment, which involves both drugs and work with sick children by psychologists, and group sessions with speech therapists / psychotherapists, and individual lessons at home, and creativity therapy. It is very important to identify the mental disorder in question early - this will give a chance to use all modern methods of treatment at the very beginning of the development of the disease and maintain the normal functioning of all organs and systems of the body (as far as possible in each case).

Previously, antidepressants and antipsychotics were used to treat childhood schizophrenia, which had a rather severe effect on the central nervous system. That is, they perfectly coped with the task of stopping attacks of schizophrenia, but nullified all the work on the development of the mental and physical development of the child / adolescent. Modern drugs are more gentle in this regard and allow you to "gently" correct the mental state of the patient. The only side effect of such drugs is a significant increase in body weight, so doctors must constantly monitor the level of insulin in the body and the work of the pancreas - the risk of developing diabetes mellitus while taking antipsychotics and antidepressants of the last generation is very high.

It is imperative that as part of the treatment of childhood schizophrenia, sessions with a psychotherapist are conducted - the child (if he is at the age of 7 years and above) must realize his peculiarity, accept the diagnosis and come to terms with the fact that he will always be different from everyone else. Classes in groups also give a good effect - sick children learn to behave correctly in society, prepare for society, get used to independently cope with attacks of aggression or irritability.

Note: Many parents, discovering oddities and deviations from the usual development in their child, try not to turn to specialists, but to solve problems on their own - for example, they take their children to "grandmothers" and home-grown folk healers. Please note that traditional methods of treating schizophrenia are not able to give an effect without the use of specific medications, they only support the body.

Schizophrenia in childhood is extremely rarely treated in inpatient departments of specialized medical institutions - even during an attack, the patient can be helped on an outpatient basis. We are not talking about severe forms of the mental illness in question, because oligophrenic schizophrenia clearly implies the constant (or very frequent) presence of the child in a closed medical institution.

According to statistics, childhood schizophrenia only in 40% of cases leads to the complete incapacity of the child in the future. With the right approach to treatment and supportive therapy, a child may well master the most necessary skills for an independent life, communicate with others, undergo special training and work in the future. It is only important to contact specialists in a timely manner, carry out diagnostics and receive advice on further treatment - in this way parents will help their sick children become practically full-fledged members of society.

Schizophrenia is quite rare in children. One sick child in 50,000 healthy children.

Schizophrenia is a mental illness in which the cognitive and emotional spheres are affected. This is manifested by withdrawal and avoidance of communication, decreased activity, depletion of emotions, bouts of monotonous excitement. Patients suffer from delusional states, visual and auditory hallucinations.

Disorders of mental activity (speech, emotions, behavior) are characteristic of schizophrenia.

Causes and signs

A child in a state of acute manifestation of the disease cannot normally perceive reality, his perception is fragmentary, to some extent random.

Symptoms

Childhood schizophrenia in its manifestation may differ from the symptoms of adult patients. It is difficult to diagnose at an early age. Schizophrenia is especially acute during the period of age crises (three, seven and thirteen years).

Symptoms of the disease are varied and depend on the age of the child and the form of the disease. But the manifestation of catatonic states can be called general.

Symptoms of a catatonic state

Catatonic states can manifest themselves, regardless of the form of the disease.

This state is characterized by increased arousal, impulsivity of actions. The attack can last for several hours.
The main symptoms of a catatonic state are:

• aimless running or marking time, sudden intermittent movements without a specific target,
• chaotic walking, often in a circle, with a "blank" look. The gait can be a country with an irregular rhythm. The child does not get tired of long walking,
• excitement, abruptly replaced by lethargy. The child can suddenly stop and lie down in a country pose,
• often the child can wake up in the middle of the night and suffer from insomnia,
• in a severe course of the disease, attacks of aggression occur. The child literally destroys everything that surrounds him, tries to bite or strangle himself, can shout out incoherent words.

How does the disease manifest itself depending on the age of the child?

In early childhood, the disease is manifested by the following symptoms:

• escape from reality, immersion in oneself,
• hyperactivity,
• movement disorders (stereotyped movements, regression of walking),
• poverty of emotions,
• freezing in unusual positions,
• incoherent speech,
• unreasonable tears or laughter,
• meaningless shouts.

For children six years and older, a characteristic symptom of schizophrenia is thought disorder. The manifestations of the disease also include:

• fantasies in which the child completely departs from reality,
• increased anxiety and fears,
• excessive suspiciousness
• lethargy and passivity,
• obsessive movements
• frequent mood swings
• complaints of boredom.

Most often, adolescents suffer from hebephrenia (a form of schizophrenia). It manifests itself in ridiculous clownish antics, poverty of the emotional sphere, broken speech, grotesque, unusual fantasies.

Fantasies are based on strange desires or ridiculous fears that degenerate into a hostile or aggressive attitude towards people.

For adolescence, hallucinations and delusional states become the main symptom of schizophrenia. As a rule, for the first time these manifestations of the disease are found in children 10-13 years old, but in some cases even earlier.
Most often, adolescents suffer from hebephrenia (a form of schizophrenia). It manifests itself in ridiculous clownish antics, poverty of the emotional sphere, broken speech, grotesque, unusual fantasies.
Fantasies are based on strange desires or ridiculous fears that degenerate into a hostile or aggressive attitude towards people.

The following features can be called the general manifestations of the disease:

• ambivalence,
• communication problems,
• uncertainty about actions or judgments,
• thinking disorders
• speech disorders (speech can be both fast and abrupt, and slow with stuttering),
• inventing new words,
• not the ability for associative thinking,
• loss of interests and hobbies, but at the same time there may be a manic obsession with some object,
• poverty and lack of expression of emotions,
• difficulty answering direct questions
• obsessive repetition of thoughts
• incomplete statements,
• egocentrism,
• pretentious and complex statements.

Diagnostic features

It is quite difficult to detect schizophrenia in children in early childhood due to the peculiarities of development - tomography or EEG cannot always help in diagnosis. Therefore, it is difficult to identify the form of schizophrenia, since for its establishment it is very important to question the patient about his hallucinations and sensations. Because of this, a child's diagnoses can range from depression to autism spectrum disorders. Often at an early age, autism is diagnosed instead of schizophrenia.

It is easier to diagnose the disease in adolescence. The diagnosis is made on the basis of a conversation with a psychiatrist and with obvious symptoms of schizophrenia (depletion of the emotional sphere, apathy, personality disorders). At this age, to clarify the diagnosis, the doctor may prescribe the following additional examinations:

• EEG (electroenuciflography), which allows you to track brain activity and see abnormalities in its work;
• Vascular examination;
• MRI, thanks to which the lesions of the brain structures typical for schizophrenia are revealed;
• Epstein-Barr virus tests or tests for traces of drugs.

Analysis of the patient's drawings takes a special place in the detection of schizophrenia. It is not possible to make a diagnosis on the basis of creativity, but it can help in establishing the form of the disease. The patient's drawings are unusual; they are distinguished by stereotype, unnatural combination of colors, unusual shapes.

Treatment

Medicines and psychotherapy are used to treat schizophrenia in children.

Young children are prescribed antipsychotics, nootropics if necessary.

It is important to maintain contact between parents and the attending physician, inform him about the slightest changes in the child's condition.

Parents should not refuse hospitalization of the child, since without it it is impossible to achieve remission of the disease.

It is also important to remember that the diagnosis of schizophrenia does not always put an end to the future; timely and complete treatment allows the child to remain a part of society. Children with this disease can attend general education schools, home schooling is prescribed if the autistic symptoms of schizophrenia are severe.

Upbringing and living together with a child with schizophrenia are quite difficult tasks and require a lot of willpower and patience. The most important thing a parent needs to do is accept the diagnosis of a son or daughter and believe in the success of the therapy.

Here are some expert tips:

• no need to argue with the child about his hallucinations. For children diagnosed with schizophrenia, their visions are part of reality;
• try to create a comfortable regime and environment so that the child does not experience unnecessary emotional overload;
• try to protect the child from himself during psychosis.

It is important to diagnose the disease on time and start treating it. The future of the child largely depends on this. Therefore, having noticed repeated oddities in the child's behavior, it is worth contacting a doctor without waiting for the first manifestations of the disease.