In children with schizophrenia, behavior changes may
occur slowly, over time, or have a sudden onset. The child may gradually become more shy
and withdrawn. They may begin to talk about bizarre ideas or fears and begin
to cling more to parents. One of the most disturbing and puzzling
characteristics of schizophrenia is the sudden onset of its psychotic
symptoms. The following are the most common symptoms of schizophrenia.
However, each child may experience symptoms differently.
Early
warning signs of schizophrenia in children may include:
-
distorted
perception of reality (difficulty telling dreams from
reality)
-
confused
thinking (i.e.,
confusing television with reality)
-
detailed and
bizarre thoughts and ideas
-
suspiciousness
and/or paranoia
(fearfulness that someone, or something, is going to harm them)
-
hallucinations
(seeing, hearing,
or feeling things that are not real such as hearing voices telling them to
do something)
-
delusions
(ideas that seem
real but are not based in reality)
-
extreme
moodiness
-
severe
anxiety and/or fearfulness
-
flat affect
(lack of emotional
expression when speaking)
-
difficulty in
performing schoolwork
-
social
withdrawal (severe
problems in making and keeping friends)
-
disorganized
or catatonic behavior (suddenly
becoming agitated and confused, or sitting and staring, as if
immobilized)
-
odd behaviors
(i.e., an older child may regress significantly and begin acting like a
younger child)
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The symptoms of
schizophrenia are often classified as positive (symptoms including delusions,
hallucinations, and bizarre behavior), negative (symptoms including flat
affect, withdrawal, and emotional unresponsiveness), disorganized speech
(including speech that is incomprehensible), and disorganized or catatonic
behavior (including marked mood swings, sudden aggressive, or confusion,
followed by sudden motionlessness and staring). The symptoms of schizophrenia
in children are similar to adults, however, children, more often (in 80
percent of diagnosed cases), experience auditory hallucinations and typically
do not experience delusions or formal thought disorders until mid-adolescence
or older. The symptoms of schizophrenia may resemble other problems or
psychiatric conditions. Always consult your child's
physician for a diagnosis.
