IQ in childhood psychiatric attendees predicts outcome of later schizophrenia at 21 year follow-up.
OBJECTIVE
Preschizophrenic children who merit psychiatric referral are claimed to have a particularly malevolent illness when the psychosis develops later. The 21 years outcome of a sample of such children was investigated.


METHODS
Fifty-one children who attended psychiatric services, and were later diagnosed as having schizophrenia, were followed up a mean of 21 years later. Baseline childhood demographic, clinical and putative aetiological characteristics were identified from the case notes. Follow-up assessment evaluated clinical symptoms, social functioning and service utilization. The predictive value of baseline factors on outcome was examined.


RESULTS
Outcome was poor, and seven (14%) of the subjects were deceased. Childhood IQ was strongly predictive of social outcome (F=5.1, P=0.01) and service utilization (F=5.2, P=0.01), but not clinical symptoms. No other factors predicted outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
Low childhood IQ had an unfavourable impact on social outcome and service utilization once schizophrenia developed.
Division of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, UK. j.munro@iop.kcl.ac.uk
J C
JC
Munro
A J
AJ
Russell
R M
RM
Murray
R W
RW
Kerwin
P B
PB
Jones
D017668:Age of Onset; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications*