Psychosis is one of the symptoms that alters how the brain processes information. Psychosis indicates the probability of mental health disorders, substance abuse, stress, trauma, or physical injury in individuals. This condition affects people causing hallucinations or delusions. Studies indicate that about three percent of people experience a psychotic stage in their life (Fusar-Poli et al., 2017). Detecting the early signs first episode of psychosis (FEP) is difficult and traumatic for the victims and their families. Failing to comprehend this condition can cause delays inappropriate treatment and intervention methods. It is possible to decrease the severity and shorten the course of psychosis if intervention is done early (Fusar-Poli et al., 2017). Research shows that the number of young people experiencing psychosis has kept increasing over the years. Schizophrenia is a pervasive and devastating psychotic condition affecting over 0.40 percent of the world’s population. In most cases, early-onset schizophrenia manifests within individuals between 13 and 18 years (Chan, 2017). The symptoms of this condition in children and adolescents are not different from those in adults.
However, diagnosing children and adolescents is difficult to recognize in this age group. Some early signs in this age group include hallucinations, withdrawal from friends and family mood swings, irritability, substance use, insomnia, and lack of motivation. More often than not, these physicians misdiagnose these symptoms as depression or bipolar disorder. Proper diagnosis should include mental tests and several physical tests to rule out other possible conditions. Physicians also conduct psychiatric examinations and diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia following the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Chan, 2017). There are no available treatments currently to cure psychosis; however, managing the condition is effective if detection and diagnosis are early. Some of the main treatment methods of treating the condition involve using medication using antipsychotic drugs, psychotherapy, and life skills training (Chan, 2017). Physicians recommend hospitalization during periods of severe symptoms.
References
Chan, V. (2017). Schizophrenia and Psychosis: Diagnosis, Current Research Trends, and Model Treatment Approaches with Implications for Transitional Age Youth. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 26(2), 341-366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2016.12.014
Fusar-Poli, P., McGorry, P. D., & Kane, J. M. (2017). Improving outcomes of first-episode psychosis: An overview. World Psychiatry, 16(3), 251-265. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20446
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