Main Article Content
A 12 year chart review of childhood and adolescent onset psychosis at a Nigerian tertiary mental health facility
Abstract
Objectives: To review the profile of children and adolescents presenting with psychosis at a specialist mental health facility, and to compare childhood with adolescent onset psychosis.
Method: Hospital records of all children and adolescents over a 12-year period (1999–2010) were perused to identify those falling under the categories of psychotic disorders. Clinical, socio-demographic, obstetric, and developmental information was extracted.
Results: Mean age of the children ((n = 409)) was 15.9 years, with 8.1% aged 12 years or less. The most frequent diagnoses were schizophrenia (40.8%), brief psychotic disorder (25.9%), mood disorder with psychosis (15.2%), and organic psychosis (7.8%). Family history of mental illness was reported among 22.5%. Subjects with childhood onset were significantly less likely than those with adolescent onset to have a family history of mental illness (p = 0.016), more likely to report maternal illness during pregnancy (p = 0.005) and illness during infancy (p = 0.010), and more likely to have a diagnosis of psychotic disorder due to another general medical condition (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: The study suggests that antenatal/obstetric factors and illness during infancy may be particularly relevant in psychosis of childhood onset. Family history of mental illness may however be of greater relevance in adolescent onset psychosis.
Method: Hospital records of all children and adolescents over a 12-year period (1999–2010) were perused to identify those falling under the categories of psychotic disorders. Clinical, socio-demographic, obstetric, and developmental information was extracted.
Results: Mean age of the children ((n = 409)) was 15.9 years, with 8.1% aged 12 years or less. The most frequent diagnoses were schizophrenia (40.8%), brief psychotic disorder (25.9%), mood disorder with psychosis (15.2%), and organic psychosis (7.8%). Family history of mental illness was reported among 22.5%. Subjects with childhood onset were significantly less likely than those with adolescent onset to have a family history of mental illness (p = 0.016), more likely to report maternal illness during pregnancy (p = 0.005) and illness during infancy (p = 0.010), and more likely to have a diagnosis of psychotic disorder due to another general medical condition (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: The study suggests that antenatal/obstetric factors and illness during infancy may be particularly relevant in psychosis of childhood onset. Family history of mental illness may however be of greater relevance in adolescent onset psychosis.
