The awesome burden upon the child who must keep a family secret.
This paper describes a series of young patients hospitalized in a psychiatric facility because they presented symptoms indicative of a psychotic disorder when, in fact, the youngsters were dealing with the strain of keeping a family secret hidden. Case presentation oriented to how the burden prohibited proper psychological development and the manner of how these secrets came to light are offered. The commonality of patients exhibiting this phenomenon is discussed.
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011581:Psychological Tests; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*