Schizophrenia is just one of many mental health disabilities that affect children. Discussions about schizophrenia in children are rare. In addition, this mental disability is also quite uncommon in children younger than 12 years old. This partially explains why it is not easy to see or recognize the signs early on. The causes of this condition are still not fully understood.
What Exactly is Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia refers to a mental health disorder that result in affected persons having unusual feelings and thought processes. Persons with the disorder are unable to separate reality from the imagined. As such, children like adults with schizophrenia engage in unacceptable behavior when the condition is not under control.
Signs of Schizophrenia in Children
Some experts believe that the signs of schizophrenia are different in children than they are in adults. In children the condition is slow to develop. Some of the most common symptoms in children are:
Behavior that is common to children younger than they are
Unable to differentiate reality from what is seen on television
Not being able to separate their dreams from the real world
Extreme and irrational fear coupled with anxiety
Seeing things and hearing voices that are not there. The voices are normally instructing them to do something.
Thoughts and ideas are weird and far-fetched
Extreme moodiness
Becoming agitated and or confused without cause
Treatment of Schizophrenia in Children
Children with mental disabilities such as schizophrenia generally need to be evaluated by a psychiatrist. A child who is suspected of being schizophrenic tends to be referred for psychiatric care by their pediatrician. Treatment options include the use of therapy, medication and special programs at school to help them cope.
As with any other types of disabilities, the first step is to understand the condition and learn how to deal with it. This is true whether or not the disability being dealt with is physical, mental or cognitive.
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