A FOLLOW-UP-STUDY OF EARLY-ONSET PSYCHOSIS - COMPARISON BETWEEN OUTCOME DIAGNOSES OF SCHIZOPHRENIA, MOOD DISORDERS, AND PERSONALITY-DISORDERS

This study examined the outcome of youth previously diagnosed with psy chotic disorders at a public-sector tertiary care hospital. Of 95 chil dren and adolescents retrospectively identified, follow-up information (mean interval 3.9 years) was obtained on 24 subjects with an outcome diagnosis of schizophrenia, 9 with psychotic mood disorders, 5 with p ersonality disorders (antisocial or borderline), and 1 with schizo-aff ective disorder. The schizophrenic group was more often odd premorbidl y and functioned worse at outcome, while the mood-disordered group had a shorter follow-up period and was more often anxious or dysthymic pr emorbidly. The personality-disordered group resembled the schizophreni cs in their degree of impairment and chronicity. All three groups had high rates of family disruption, low SES, substance abuse, and chronic ity, and were similar in their degree of premorbid impairment, length of prodrome, age of onset, initial diagnosis, and family psychiatric h istory. Misdiagnosis at onset was quite common and highlights the need for systematic longitudinal assessment of early onset psychotic disor ders.