Childhood Schizophrenia: A Challenge Of The Present For The Future

Schizophrenia is a disorder that hardly begins to manifest itself from childhood. However, in some cases, unfortunately, it can also occur in children. Childhood schizophrenia exists and, as happens to adults, children also suffer from hallucinations and visions, which can be confused with the classic “children’s things” or “imaginary friends”.

As with adults, early intervention can greatly improve prognosis, so it is a good idea to investigate the peculiarities of childhood schizophrenia. An early diagnosis, always carried out by a specialist, can greatly cushion the impact of this disorder on the life of the child. To do this, a real race against time must be started.

What are the causes of childhood schizophrenia?

As with many other disorders, the genetic heritage plays an important role in childhood schizophrenia, and therefore the chances of it appearing are greater if there are people in the family who suffer or have suffered from this disease. Studies have also established a relationship between childhood schizophrenia and family history of anxiety disorders or ADHD.

However, there are other circumstances with which this disorder may be associated. For example, if there have been any complications during childbirth that involve abnormal neurological development. The flow of oxygen to the baby’s brain also plays a role, if there has been a time when it has decreased or stopped altogether. Knowing this can shed light on the development of the disease.

How can we know if a child has this disorder? It is first of all necessary to observe if you think you are hearing voices that, in general, are negative or unpleasant. Also, if he thinks he is seeing things, such as people, objects or colors that are not really there. It is important to pay close attention to all these elements, as  parents can mistake these alarm bells for classic “imaginary friends”. In any case, the last word on the diagnosis always rests with a specialist.

Evolution and improvement prospects of childhood schizophrenia

As we mentioned at the outset,  childhood schizophrenia does not present very encouraging prospects. This is because the earlier this disorder occurs, the greater the impact it will have on the life of the person affected and the more it will affect them. In this case, in fact, the child.

It is precisely in childhood that you begin to speak, walk and develop your motor skills. If you have childhood schizophrenia, this will all be altered. Children will grimace and assume strange postures, they can struggle to socialize and it will be very difficult for them to express their ideas in a coherent way.

This disorder, therefore, can negatively affect the evolution of other processes such as language, motor skills and socialization. Children with childhood schizophrenia will have a much harder time expressing themselves naturally or will do or talk about strange things, even to the open and imaginative minds typical of children their age.

How can psychology deal with such a problem? First of all, we will try to stop the worsening of the disorder with a drug treatment that balances the child and contains the symptoms. Furthermore, the treatment will allow the psychologist to be able to work with the child in better conditions, since, by keeping his symptoms under control, he will show a more receptive attitude.

Once the drug treatment has been established, it  is important to do a profound teaching job for the child to discern between what is part of the hallucinations and what is real. We will also work on the motor aspect and language so that the delay, if present, is reduced as much as possible.

Likewise, social interaction cannot be overlooked. The child suffering from childhood schizophrenia must acquire the necessary tools to socialize  with other children of his age. To this end, parents also need to undertake a path in which to learn the most positive reactions to certain situations that the child can create as a consequence of his disorder. In this sense, it is very important to make awareness work, which involves the social context in which the child will move.