Adolescent-Onset Psychosis: A 2-Year Retrospective Study of Adolescents Admitted to a General Psychiatric Unit (Clinical Report‪)‬

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, text revision (DSM-IV-TR) defines psychosis as having delusions or hallucinations, with the hallucinations occurring in the absence of insight into their pathological nature. A broader definition includes symptoms such as disorganised speech and grossly disorganised or catatonic behavior. (1) Semper and McClellan refer to the DSM definition of psychosis for children and also note that negative symptoms such as alogia, amotivation and anhedonia can be present. (2) Cognitive and mood symptoms may also be present. The DSM-IV-TR applies the same diagnostic criteria for psychotic disorders in children and adolescents as for adults. (1) There are relatively few epidemiological studies on adolescent-onset psychosis. It is generally held that the incidence of psychosis, and especially of schizophrenia, increases markedly during the teenage years, with a preponderance of male over female patients. (3)