Clinical Profile of Schizophrenia in Children and Adolescents: Diagnosis, Symptoms and Prognosis

Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder with a wide clinical spectrum that significantly impairs the functionality of the individual. It is less common under 18 years of age and clinical symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up processes differ from adult schizophrenia in certain aspects. This study aims to evaluate the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients diagnosed with early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) and childhood-onset schizophrenia (COS). In this retrospective study, 83 children and adolescents diagnosed with schizophrenia according to DSM-5 criteria were analyzed. Sociodemographic characteristics, age at first symptom, duration of diagnosis, comorbidities and treatment processes of the patients were analyzed. The mean age at diagnosis of schizophrenia was 14.42 ± 2.46 years. The mean time between the first psychiatric symptom and the diagnosis of schizophrenia was 11.1 ± 1.56 months. The mean age of starting the first psychiatric treatment was 13.26 ± 3.10 years and the mean age of starting the most commonly used drug group, antipsychotic drugs, was 13.93 ± 2.82 years. Comorbid psychiatric disorders were common, with ADHD and intellectual disability being the most frequently observed. In addition, 19% of the patients had a history of psychiatric disorders in their mothers and 20% in their fathers. Our study highlights the delays in the diagnostic process and the prevalence of comorbid disorders by determining the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients diagnosed with EOS and COS. It is emphasized that early diagnosis and intervention processes should be strengthened, individualized treatment approaches should be adopted, and long-term functionality of patients should be increased with multidisciplinary approaches.