NAMInet The NAMInet is a tremendous resource exclusively for our grassroots leadership. Schizophrenia is a major psychiatric illness. Symptoms usually begin in late adolescence or early adulthood. Numerous studies have found that about 1 in every 100 people around the world has the disorder. It is thought that at most one in every 100 adults with schizophrenia develops it in childhood.
Schizophrenia is diagnosed by the presence of two of the symptoms described above.
For a diagnosis of schizophrenia, two of these symptoms must be present for at least 6 months and must be accompanied by increased difficulty in daily living in areas such as school, friendships, and self-care. Hallucinations or delusions in a child should lead to an evaluation by a mental health professional who has experience working with children and adolescents with mental health disorders. A diagnosis of schizophrenia is made through an interview with the child and parents using information obtained from them and from school personnel. Difficulties in diagnosing schizophrenia Many of the symptoms seen in people with schizophrenia are also found in people with depression, bipolar disorder, or other illnesses. As a result, studies have found that misdiagnosis is common.