High rates of comorbidity are found in childhood-onset schizophrenia.
BACKGROUND
For adults with schizophrenia, comorbidity is common and contributes to impairment. Thus, there has been an increasing effort to identify and treat comorbid symptoms. This report extends that work by examining comorbidity in children and young adolescents with childhood-onset schizophrenia.


METHODS
Eighty-two children, ages 4-15 years, with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder received structured diagnostic instruments for symptoms and pharmacological treatment history. DSM-IV diagnoses were identified using a non-hierarchical approach.


RESULTS
Eighty-one (99%) of the children with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder had at least one comorbid psychiatric illness: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (84%), oppositional defiant disorder (43%), depression (30%), and separation anxiety disorder (25%) were the most common comorbid conditions identified. Pharmacological treatment of the comorbid conditions was uncommon.


CONCLUSIONS
Comorbid syndromes are common in children and young adolescents with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Pharmacological treatment of the comorbid conditions is rare; however it is unclear if this is due to DSM-IVs hierarchical diagnostic system or to a lack of empirically driven guidelines for appropriate treatment. Additional efforts focused on comorbidity in very-early-onset schizophrenia are warranted.
Ross
Randal G
RG
University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, 4200 E 9th Avenue, Denver, CO 80262, USA. randy.ross@uchsc.edu
Heinlein
Shari
S
Tregellas
Hope
H
D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D012561:Schizophrenia, Childhood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index