Early Signs of Schizophrenia and Psychotic Mood Disorders in Former Child Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Ulf Engqvist, Per-Anders Rydelius
Primary Institution: Karolinska Institutet
Hypothesis
What are the early signs and the nature of psychotic disorders among former child and adolescent psychiatric patients as they transition into adulthood?
Conclusion
Psychotic disorders are relatively uncommon among patients admitted to child and adolescent psychiatric care in Sweden, but early onset disorders may show symptoms as early as ages 13-17.
Supporting Evidence
- 4.4% of the study group received a diagnosis of schizophrenia or psychotic mood disorders.
- The mean age at first onset of symptoms was 21.4 years.
- One-third of those diagnosed as psychotic received their diagnosis during child and adolescent psychiatric care.
- Patients diagnosed with psychosis were older upon initial admission compared to those without such a diagnosis.
Takeaway
This study looked at kids who had mental health issues and found that not many of them ended up with serious problems like schizophrenia when they grew up, but some showed signs of it when they were teenagers.
Methodology
The study followed 1,400 former child and adolescent psychiatric patients from 1975 to 2003, analyzing their mental health status through hospital records and registries.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to reliance on hospital records and lack of concurrent validation of the assessment tools used.
Limitations
The study population may not be representative of the entire Swedish population, and the data was primarily obtained from psychiatric hospital records, which may not be scientifically rigorous.
Participant Demographics
Patients were born between 1957 and 1976, with a gender distribution of 36 females and 26 males diagnosed with psychosis.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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