title: Predictors of later schizophrenia and affective psychosis among attendees at a child psychiatry department.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Schizophrenia has been linked with psychological problems in childhood but there is little information on precursors of affective psychosis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare childhood psychological antecedents of adult schizophrenia and affective psychosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Childhood item sheets, which give standardised information on signs and symptoms of mental illness in the year preceding assessment are completed for all attendees at the children's department of the Maudsley and Bethlem Royal Hospital. We examined item sheet data on individuals with an adult diagnosis of schizophrenia (n=59) or affective psychosis (n=27) and a comparison group with no adult mental illness (n=86) (all had attended the department).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Abnormal suspiciousness or sensitivity and relationship difficulties with peers are associated with later schizophrenia. In contrast, affective psychosis is associated with childhood hysterical symptoms and disturbances in eating.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Childhood psychological precursors for schizophrenia and affective psychosis differ and do not simply reflect non-specific psychiatric disturbance in adolescence.
authors.affiliation: Division of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK. m.cannon@iop.kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cannon
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hollis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kargin
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: P B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000341:Affective Disorders, Psychotic / Q000209:etiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007046:Hysteria / Q000523:psychology; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000235:genetics; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000209:etiology*