What To Know About Childhood Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a mental illness that can cause symptoms like delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized speech. While it most commonly develops in young adulthood, it may be diagnosed in children in rare cases. Childhood schizophrenia can cause challenges in daily life alongside comorbid conditions and symptoms. Recognizing the symptoms of childhood-onset schizophrenia and seeking treatment early may lead to improved mental health outcomes and a higher quality of life. 

Understanding schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a mental illness categorized under “Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders). It causes changes in the ways people think, behave, and experience the world. When a person with schizophrenia loses touch with reality and experiences hallucinations and delusions, this state is known as “psychosis.” People with schizophrenia may experience psychosis more than once in their lives, which may lead to reduced functioning. Often, schizophrenia occurs alongside other mental illnesses, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), depression, and anxiety. 

Schizophrenia causes two types of symptoms: positive and negative. These labels don’t mean a symptom is “good” or “bad.” Instead, positive symptoms are ways of thinking and acting that are present in people with schizophrenia. Conversely, negative symptoms are ways of thinking and acting that are absent in people with schizophrenia. 

Positive symptoms 

Examples of positive symptoms include:

• Hallucinations (false sensory perceptions of stimuli that do not exist, such as hearing voices or seeing shadows) 
• Delusions (false beliefs that are difficult to sway with facts or logic)
• Disorganized thinking (thoughts that are scattered, hazy, or hard to follow)
• Disorganized speech (mixing up words, rambling, or talking in ways others don’t understand)

Negative symptoms 

Negative symptoms of schizophrenia might include the following: 

• A loss of motivation to complete daily tasks like bathing, getting dressed, or doing chores
• A reduced desire to interact with other people
• Reduced facial expressions, hand gestures, or other shows of emotion
• A loss of pleasure in enjoyable hobbies or experiences

Positive symptoms are often more prevalent when a person is having a psychotic episode. Contrarily, negative symptoms may be more likely to continue between periods of psychosis.

What is childhood schizophrenia?

Typically, schizophrenia emerges or becomes apparent in young adulthood. In males, symptoms may start in the late teens to early 20s. In females, symptoms may emerge slightly later—usually around the late 20s to early 30s. However, on rare occasions, people may start showing signs earlier. 

There are two terms to describe these situations. “Early-onset schizophrenia” is used to describe schizophrenia that starts before the age of 18. The phrase “childhood-onset schizophrenia” is used to describe schizophrenia that begins in children younger than 13. Childhood-onset schizophrenia is sometimes also called “very early-onset schizophrenia” or “pediatric schizophrenia.”

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Symptoms and causes of childhood schizophrenia

Childhood schizophrenia symptoms are similar to symptoms of adult schizophrenia. Both the child and adult forms tend to emerge gradually in the weeks, months, or years leading up to a diagnosis. 

One’s child’s symptoms may not always look the same as another’s. That said, before being diagnosed, children with schizophrenia may: 

• Have trouble keeping up with schoolwork
• Start expressing unusual beliefs
• Complain of hearing sounds or voices
• Become sensitive to lights, sounds, smells, or physical contact
• Withdraw from their friends or social groups
• Stop showing interest in hobbies they once enjoyed
• Become suspicious or fearful of others

Some older studies have also found that children with schizophrenia may be more likely to have visual hallucinations than adults. However, because mental health research is constantly evolving, these older sources may have been reevaluated since their original publication.

The cause of childhood schizophrenia is still unknown. However, a few factors have been identified that may put people at greater risk, including but not limited to the following: 

• Being born in the winter
• Complications during pregnancy or childbirth
• Growing up in an urban setting
• Having a low birth weight
• Maternal malnutrition
• Childhood trauma
• Using drugs during childhood or adolescence

It is possible that a combination of factors—such as genetic risk and life experiences—come together to cause schizophrenia, both in adults and in children. 

Navigating life with schizophrenia

Growing up and navigating adulthood with schizophrenia can be challenging. However, schizophrenia is often treatable. If you’ve experienced symptoms, whether as a child or an adult, talking to a mental health professional may be the first step toward a better quality of life. Your doctor may recommend a combination of treatments, such as:

• Antipsychotics: These medications may relieve positive symptoms, and various types are available. They might be prescribed as pills or shots. Newer medications may have fewer side effects than older options. 
• Other medications: Doctors may also prescribe antidepressants or mood stabilizers to help relieve negative symptoms. 
• Ongoing support: Beyond medication, people with schizophrenia often benefit from ongoing support. Support may include job placement programs, social skills training, or special accommodations in school. Support groups can also be a way to connect with others over common experiences. 

Consult a medical doctor before starting, changing, or stopping a medication for any condition. The information in this article is not a replacement for medical advice or diagnosis.

Therapy

Therapy is often a core part of schizophrenia treatment. Working with a therapist may help you develop the tools to manage daily life, cope with symptoms healthily, and maintain positive social relationships. It may also be helpful if you have another mental illness alongside schizophrenia. 

Commuting to weekly therapy sessions may sometimes be more difficult with schizophrenia, which can lower your motivation to leave the house. With online therapy through a platform like BetterHelp, you can see a therapist from the comfort of your own home. In addition, you can choose a time slot for sessions that works for you, often outside of standard business hours.  

Online therapy has been found to effectively treat mental concerns that often co-occur with schizophrenia. In 2017, researchers reviewed data from 373 studies of internet-based therapy for different mental illnesses. They concluded that online therapy was an effective and affordable form of treatment for conditions like anxiety, depression, OCD, and others.