The phenomenology of schizophrenia occurring in childhood.
Thirty-five children, aged 4 to 13 (X = 9.54), meeting strict DSM-III criteria for schizophrenia, are described. The subjects were diagnosed using a new semistructured interview. All were in the normal range of intelligence (mean IQ = 94) and free of neurological disorders. Characteristic auditory hallucinations were present in 80% and delusions in 63% of the sample. The mean age of onset of psychotic symptoms was 6.9 years. Premorbid histories of attention deficit, conduct disturbance and/or developmental abnormalities were common. The nature and content of psychotic symptoms varied with developmental stage. The phenomenological presentation of the sample was similar to previous studies of young schizophrenic children.
Russell
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Bott
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Sammons
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D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008370:Manuals as Topic; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D012561:Schizophrenia, Childhood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology