Is Your Child Dealing
With Schizophrenia?
Are you caring for your child with suspected or diagnosed Schizophrenia?
Seeing your child experience a mental health condition, especially at such a young age, can be very painful. Further, it can also leave you feeling overwhelmed and isolated as their parents.
To help you understand what your child is going through and how you can help yourself, we have prepared information about schizophrenia in children.
What is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a condition that affects a person’s experience of reality. A person diagnosed with schizophrenia will experience episodes of Psychosis, which means they experience delusions and hallucinations and find it hard to distinguish what is real and what isn’t.
It is important to understand that a person can experience psychosis but not have Schizophrenia, as there are various forms of psychosis.
Health professionals make a diagnosis of Schizophrenia based on a pattern of signs and symptoms combined with changes in their everyday functioning. For this reason, a diagnosis of Schizophrenia takes time and, in general, people have been mentally unwell for quite some time before diagnosis.
Schizophrenia falls into the category of ‘severe mental condition’ since this lifelong condition has no definite cure yet. However, this condition can be managed effectively, and it is possible to live a stable life with the right medications and support.
Symptoms of Schizophrenia in Children
Schizophrenia in children is a rare condition that is found in a handful of children around the world. Though uncommon, this mental health condition can severely affect the growth and development of your son or daughter if it isn’t detected and treated earlier.
One of the major symptoms of schizophrenia in children is recurring Psychosis which is also rare but not uncommon. A child experiencing psychosis (repeated and frequent episodes) will find it hard to identify what is real from what isn’t. Even though they are getting treatment for Psychosis but still experience episodes, they may be diagnosed with Schizophrenia.
If your child is diagnosed with Schizophrenia, it does not mean they will experience all the symptoms. It is important to remember that your son or daughter can have a very different experience from another child living with Schizophrenia.
The main symptoms are:
- Psychotic episodes — short periods of intense symptoms
- Delusions — fixed false beliefs that can’t be changed by evidence
- Hallucinations — hearing voices or otherwise sensing things that aren’t real
- Disordered thinking — muddled, disrupted thoughts that can be expressed through speech
- Disordered behaviour — unusual, inappropriate or extreme actions
- Paranoia — believe that something bad is going to happen
- Delays in motor skills such as speaking and walking
- Repeated actions of strange mannerisms
- Low motivation such as not getting up to play or not caring for their personal hygiene
- Inability to express emotion or feel pleasure
- Problems with attention, memory, verbal and mental functions
- Poor social and school performance
What causes Schizophrenia?
Like many mental conditions, Schizophrenia doesn’t have just one single cause. It can be the result of a combination of several internal and external factors including:
- Genetic predisposition
- Biochemical – shortage or excess of certain chemicals in the brain
- Environmental such as stress, trauma and drug use (medical or substance)
Though most symptoms often develop during the late teens to mid-30s, children can experience symptoms of Schizophrenia and further develop the condition when not properly treated as soon as possible. Schizophrenia appears in about 0.3-0.7 percent of the population in most countries, including Australia.
Diagnosis of Schizophrenia
Though Schizophrenia in children is rare, developing this mental health condition at such a very young age can impede your child’s physical, emotional and social growth. If not properly addressed, they can carry this mental health condition to adolescence and through to adulthood.
Children experiencing Psychosis is the number one indicator that your child may have Schizophrenia. Other mental health conditions with similar symptoms like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder may also show Schizophrenia-like qualities in children but are not necessarily part of the diagnosis for schizophrenia. As such, it is necessary to get your child to a Pediatric GP or a psychiatrist to get the professional help that can rule out other behavioural and mental health conditions through systematic reviews of their physical and mental conditions. For children to be diagnosed with schizophrenia, they must experience this condition on most days for at least 6 months.
Treatments of Schizophrenia
Get the help your child needs through an early diagnosis. Since children with Schizophrenia require medical help specific to their needs, a treatment plan which takes into account their age and stage in life is necessary.
Through treatment the condition is manageable, and some people can live a relatively normal life including maintaining healthy relationships and securing a job. Medications are the cornerstone of Schizophrenia treatment and antipsychotic medications are the most commonly prescribed drugs. Schizophrenia requires lifelong treatment, even when symptoms have subsided. In addition to medications, an experienced psychiatrist usually guides some sort of psychosocial treatment and the treatment team may include a psychologist, social worker, psychiatric nurse and possibly a case manager to coordinate care.
How to help your Child with Schizophrenia
It can be very hard for parents to see their children experience Schizophrenia, especially at such an early stage in their life. If you see unusual behaviour in your son or daughter, you can refer to mental health services online or through a helpline to get an idea of what your child may be experiencing. If your child shows many symptoms, it’s best to give the medical attention they deserve so that Pediatric GP and Psychiatrists can assess your child as soon as possible and then devise an appropriate treatment plan for your son or daughter.
How to help yourself
Having a support group or a backbone through family and friends is a big thing, especially for anyone caring for a loved one experiencing mental health conditions. Community support groups, such as the program offered byHelpingMinds®, can also help you with what you are going through. We have programs that specifically cater to parents or guardians of children experiencing mental health conditions. We also offer free counselling, support groups, rest and revive activities, school holiday programs, family programs, youth programs and advocacy to people living in WA.
Get Support from HelpingMinds®
Would you like to know more about free and confidential mental health carer services and how we can support you? Please feel free to contact HelpingMinds® via the form below or on (08) 9427 7100. For one of our team to get back to you, we will require your email address and/or phone number. Please know all information provided will be treated completely confidential and in line with our privacy policy.