title: The nature and timing of social deficits in child and adolescent offspring of parents with schizophrenia: preliminary evidence for precursors of negative symptoms?
abstract: Children with social dysfunction and a first-degree relative with schizophrenia are at elevated risk for schizophrenia; however, the nature of this dysfunction is unclear. It was hypothesized that familial high-risk (HR) children and adolescents (n=17) would have social skill deficits relative to healthy controls (HC; n=35). HR participants had a bimodal distribution of social skill scores (47% excellent; 53% poor). HR participants had worse social skills, assertion and empathy scores, suggesting possible developmental precursors to the social amotivation domain of negative symptoms. Characterizing HR children's social deficits could assist identification of those at risk for schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Electronic address: hortonle2@upmc.edu.
authors.forename: Leslie E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Horton
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Ashley A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Gretchen L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Haas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D002648:Child; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D066107:Social Skills; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: High-risk; Negative symptoms; Premorbid adjustment; Schizophrenia; Social amotivation; Social anhedonia; Social skills
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