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.
Munro
J C
JC
Division of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, UK. j.munro@iop.kcl.ac.uk
Russell
A J
AJ
Murray
R M
RM
Kerwin
R W
RW
Jones
P B
PB
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*