Early-Onset Psychosis and Child and Adolescent Schizophrenia

Rethinking the Concept of Psychosis and the Link Between Autism and Schizophrenia

Self-disorders: A promising Candidate for Early Detection

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-004_s_001"><h3>Background:</h3><p>Delusions are usually considered core symptoms of schizophrenia, but they are in fact associated with a wide range of psychiatric disorders. The content of a delusion is often related to stressful life experiences that preceded the delusion.</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-004_s_002"><h3>Objective:</h3><p>The aim of this study is to detect whether there is a link—specifically, a thematic link—between past experiences and delusion content that connects the two events via thematic analogy.</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-004_s_003"><h3>Method:</h3><p>The sample population evaluated for this study consisted of 16 consecutive patients with delusions between the ages of 9.9 and 16.5 years. All patients were experiencing their first psychotic episodes and were not taking any medications. Data were obtained from transcribed clinical sessions.</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-004_s_004"><h3>Results:</h3><p>The data suggested the presence of a thematic link between previous experiences and the contents of delusions for 15 patients (93%). Humiliating events, including bullying, are more likely to be linked to persecutory delusions (<italic toggle="yes">p</italic> = .004).</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-004_s_005"><h3>Conclusions:</h3><p>If a thematic link between past experiences and delusion content does exist, this may provide a means of greater psychotherapeutic understanding.</p></sec></abstract>

Continuity between Stressful Experiences and Delusion Content in Adolescents with Psychotic Disorders – A Pilot Study

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-005_s_001"><h3>Background:</h3><p>Differentiating diagnostically between schizophrenia and emotional and personality disorders with psychotic or psychotic-like symptoms is a challenging task. It is especially difficult when working with adolescent patients, because their symptoms tend to manifest at lower levels as compared with adult patients. Thought disorder is a core symptom of schizophrenia, and the Rorschach Inkblot Method is widely used for the assessment of formal thought disorder.</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-005_s_002"><h3>Objective:</h3><p>In this study, which is situated within ongoing clinical practice, we investigated whether the Rorschach test is helpful for assessing early-onset schizophrenia due to its ability to detect thought disorder. We also wanted to examine whether the Thought Disorder Index (TDI) is superior to the Comprehensive System (CS) for differentiating between patients with early-onset schizophrenia and non-psychotic patients experiencing auditory and visual hallucinations. An additional aim was to examine whether the TDI correlated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-005_s_003"><h3>Methods:</h3><p>Twenty-three subjects between the ages of 12 and 18 years were examined with the use of the Rorschach test, and the protocols were scored according to both the TDI and the CS. All subjects were also assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. The sample included 14 subjects who fulfilled the criteria for schizophrenia and 9 subjects who were experiencing hallucinations that emanated from severe emotional and relational problems but who had different non-psychotic disorders.</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-005_s_004"><h3>Results:</h3><p>Although the two groups could not be distinguished with regard to their total scores for thought disorder, the identification of specific thought disorder types proved useful for differential diagnosis. Verbalizations that were categorized by the TDI as “absurd responses,” “fluidity,” “contamination,” “autistic logic,” and “word-finding difficulty” were only given by patients who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. When patients’ responses were scored with the use of the CS, the “contamination” score was the only one found to be specific to schizophrenia.</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-005_s_005"><h3>Conclusions:</h3><p>Although the sample size limits the conclusions that can be drawn, the results indicate that the TDI may be superior to the CS for the identification of thought disorder specific to—but not always present in—adolescents with schizophrenia. In other words, the absence of severe thought disorder is not synonymous with the absence of severe psychopathology, but the presence of the most severe thought disorder types (i.e., “absurd responses,” “fluidity,” “incoherence,” “contamination,” and “autistic logic”) seems to be a strong indicator of schizophrenic psychopathology.</p></sec></abstract>

Early-Onset Schizophrenia: Exploring the Contribution of the Thought Disorder Index to Clinical Assessment

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-006_s_001"><h3>Background:</h3><p>According to previous reports from many countries (e.g., the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom), the use of antipsychotic drugs has increased among young people. Antipsychotics have also increasingly been prescribed for non-psychotic disorders.</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-006_s_002"><h3>Objective</h3><p>The purpose of this study was to estimate the rate at which antipsychotics were prescribed for young people in the age groups of 10 to 14 years, 15 to 19 years, and 20 to 24 years in Finland in the years 2000, 2005, and 2010.</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-006_s_003"><h3>Methods</h3><p>This was a nationwide register study using data from the databases of Statistics Finland and the Finnish National Prescription Register. Statistics Finland’s databases provided background information, including the total number of young people and the Finnish National Prescription Register keeps record of all drug orders reimbursed by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland.</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-006_s_004"><h3>Results</h3><p>The prescription of antipsychotics grew 6.8-, 4.6-, and 2.6-fold over the study period for these three age groups, respectively. For the youngest age group, use was more common among males than females in all three periods studied. During the course of the study period, the use of antipsychotics became more common among females: in 2010, antipsychotics were more commonly used among females than males in both the 15- to 19-year-old age group and the 20- to 24-year-old age group. The younger the patient, the higher the probability that the indication for medication was a non-psychotic disorder.</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-006_s_005"><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>In Finland, the trends involved in the prescription of antipsychotic medications resemble those seen in many Western countries. Therefore, it is important that the safety and effectiveness of these pharmaceuticals be investigated among young people as well.</p></sec></abstract>

The Growing Trend of Prescribing Antipsychotics for Young People in Finland, 2000 to 2010

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-007_s_001"><h3>Background</h3><p>Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous disorder that is characterized by varying levels of hallucinations, delusions, negative symptoms, and disorganized features. The presence and severity of neurodevelopmental precursors and premorbid psychopathology also vary among individuals. To fully understand individual patients and to sort out phenotypic heterogeneity for genetic research studies, instruments designed to collect developmental history relevant to schizophrenia may be helpful.</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-007_s_002"><h3>Objective</h3><p>The goal was to describe a pair of self-report and parent-report instruments developed for the purpose of collecting the developmental history of patients with known or suspected schizophrenia spectrum disorders.</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-007_s_003"><h3>Method</h3><p>Two developmental history instruments were designed for use in studies of brain morphology and cognition in schizophrenia probands and their unaffected siblings. The instruments focus mainly on motor abnormalities and other features that have been described as schizophrenia precursors.</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-007_s_004"><h3>Results</h3><p>The Motor Skills History Form is a brief self-report form that asks about patients’ childhood and adolescent motor abilities as well as their current motor functioning. The Developmental &amp; Motor History Form is a more detailed parent-rated form that covers aspects of patients’ early (infant/preschool) development; their childhood and adolescent motor abilities; any childhood behaviors that may be related to later psychosis risk; and their history of any neurological, emotional, or cognitive disorders diagnosed during childhood or adolescence. The instruments can be used either for interviews or as self-administered questionnaires. The parent-rated form has been used for research and for the clinical assessment of children and adolescents with complex neurodevelopmental presentations with or without strong evidence of schizophrenia risk.</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-007_s_005"><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The collection of developmental history information is important when evaluating individuals with schizophrenia and related disorders. The Motor Skills History Form and the Developmental &amp; Motor History Form can be used to collect this information for clinical evaluation or research purposes.</p></sec></abstract>

Collection of developmental history in the evaluation of schizophrenia spectrum disorders

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Scandinavian Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology

 We are pleased to inform you that Scandinavian Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology has been selected for coverage in Clarivate Analytics products and services. Beginning with V. 5 2017, this publication will be indexed and abstracted in Emerging Sources Citation Index.    The Journal Citation Indicator 2022 - 0.31   ICV 2020 = 100.00    From volume 2019 the journal is published in a continous format.   The journal owner and founding editor is Ole Jakob Storebø.   Focus and Scope   The Scandinavian Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology (SJCAPP) is an international scientific journal of research and practice covering a broad scope of high value articles in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry and psychology. The journal publishes quantitative and qualitative research on: diagnosis, assessment, psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacological treatments, behavior, cognition, epidemiology, development, training, cross cultural issues, neuroscience and genetic aspects related to mental disorders in children, adolescents and families. The journal also welcomes interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary submission if relevant for childhood psychopathology. The journal’s readership covers all disciplines relevant to the field, and thus publishes concise and well written papers only, avoiding jargon and technicism. The Journal publishes short and full length original papers, systematic and narrative reviews, case studies, letters, theoretical articles including perspectives and debate, and book reviews.   Publication fee   SJCAPP is a non-profit journal, but we will have to start charging a publication fee to cover our direct publication costs. The article processing charges (APCs) will be 600 Euro per article. All the editorial functions are based on voluntary work. No other charges apply.   Peer Review Process   All papers will undergo editorial screening. Original articles, reviews, and case studies will be blindly peer- reviewed by at least two peer reviewers. Peer reviewers are asked to submit their review within three (3) weeks. All articles will be fast-tracked through the peer-review and editorial process and we will endeavour to publish accepted papers within 2 weeks of final acceptance.   Publication Frequency   SJCAPP publishes accepted papers online immediately after completion of peer-review and editorial processes. Papers will subsequently be collated as quarterly editions for indexing and citation purposes.   Open Access Policy   This journal provides immediate open access to its content under the Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. Under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license users are free to share the work (copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format), if the contribution is properly attributed and used for non-commercial purposes. The material published in the journal may not be altered or built upon.   Journal History   The Scandinavian Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology (SJCAPP) was founded in 2012 by a group of researchers and clinicians from Psychiatric Research Unit, Region Zealand, Denmark. Their aim was to establish an open-access, peer-reviewed, and fast-track outlet for child and adolescent psychiatry and psychology which would engage clinicians and researchers in a constructive dialogue and offer readers interested in child and adolescent psychiatry and psychology free access to high quality, scientific information in all areas of the discipline.     Rejection rate: 2022: 41%   Archiving   Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in Portico - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections.   Plagiarism Policy   The editorial board is participating in a growing community of Similarity Check System's users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process. 