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Juvenile Schizophrenia
Pathophysiology
Juvenile schizophrenia is caused by
genetic and environmental factors.
Genetic factors refer to hereditary
traits that are taken from the
parents, which are uncontrollable
(Bartlett, 2014). Environmental
factors refer to the circumstances
we live through, which is
controllable. Examples of genetic
factors that contribute to
schizophrenia include: chemical
imbalances or brain structure
changes. Examples of environmental
factors include: childhood neglect
(Bartlett, 2014).
Risk factors
• Prenatal infections
(Bartlett, 2014)
• Paternal age of 30 or over
at the time of conception
(Bartlett, 2014)
• Too many or too few neural
connections (Bartlett,
2014)
Additional Resources
1. Schizophrenia Society of Ontario (SSO) at https://www.schizophrenia.on.ca/
2. Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)
at https://toronto.cmha.ca/documents/schizophrenia/
Manifestations
The symptoms can be categorized
into positive or negative
symptoms (Bartlett, 2014).
Positive symptoms are those
symptoms that are additive,
meaning they are found in those
with the disorder, but not within
the normal population. Negative
symptoms are those symptoms
that are deductive, meaning they
are taken away in those with the
disorder in comparison to the
normal population. An example
of a positive symptom is a
hallucination, whereas a negative
symptom is a lack of emotion
(Schizophrenia Society of
Ontario, 2019).
Key Terms
Hallucinations – perception of
something that is not present
(Bartlett, 2014)
Delusions – fixed belief
regardless of contradicting
evidence (Bartlett, 2014)
Anhedonia – lack of pleasure
(Bartlett, 2014)
CURE SCHIZO 2019
What is it? Juvenile
schizophrenia is a chronic
psychotic disorder that is
characterized by symptoms
such as: hallucinations,
delusions and anhedonia
(Bartlett, 2014). This disorder
results in deregulation of a
child’s emotions and behaviour
(Bartlett, 2014).
Management
The best prognosis for juvenile
schizophrenia occurs with early
detection and treatment
(Canadian Mental Health
Association, 2019). Those with
known risk factors should look
out for early manifestations of
schizophrenia, which include:
confused thoughts, sudden bizarre
changes in emotion, suspicion
that is not warranted, withdrawal
from others and difficulty
speaking (Canadian Mental Health
Association, 2019).
Possible options surrounding
schizophrenia treatment can be
used in combination: second
generation antipsychotic drugs,
family therapy, individual therapy
and specialized programs
(Bartlett, 2014). Resources
regarding these programs can be
found through referrals from
health care providers, online
websites or local community
services.