by: Tik Yee Lau

Children suffering from schizophrenia are uncommon but they are still worth our attention. As mentioned in the previous blog post, children and teenagers with schizophrenia may have poorer performances in school, lack of motivation, insomnia, and irritability; these symptoms can in turn make the children feel ashamed of their situations. In addition, these symptoms are regarded as common experiences of teenagers. To rule out similar symptoms that do not belong to schizophrenia, blood tests and other screening tests can be used. 

To successfully diagnose if a child is suffering from schizophrenia, several medical tests are available. The most direct methods are brain-imaging studies; both the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computerized tomography (CT) scan can help the doctors and health care professionals to identify any abnormalities (different synapses) in the brain structure (Mayo Clinic).

Diagnosing childhood schizophrenia is a very different process than diagnosing adult schizophrenia because children may have other conditions that have similar symptoms to schizophrenia, such as depression. As a result, diagnosing childhood schizophrenia can be a long and grueling process for both the parents and the children.