title: Childhood and adolescent schizophrenic, bipolar, and schizoaffective disorders: a clinical and outcome study.
abstract: Fifty-nine child and adolescent psychotic patients (mean onset age 13.9, range 7-17, 83% 13 + years) had history and outcome studied using diagnoses confirmed at follow-up after 1 to 16 years (mean, 5 years). There were no differences in sex ratio, socioeconomic status, age of onset, and symptoms, but bipolar patients (N = 23) were often misdiagnosed as schizophrenic, had a better outcome, and a 50% homotypic family history. Schizophrenic subjects (N = 30) were more abnormal premorbidly, and only 17% were well at follow-up. Schizoaffective disorder was unreliable, infrequent, and more severe. Premorbid adjustment and IQ were the best predictors of outcome. Differences from the adult disorders were only quantitative. Careful follow-up of psychotic patients is needed to detect diagnostic errors.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Werry
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: McClellan
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012561:Schizophrenia, Childhood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012917:Social Adjustment