Childhood Visual Hallucinations: A Case Report of Idiopathic Occipital Epilepsy

Although various types of hallucinations are reported at high rates during childhood, the research focusing on visual hallucinations is relatively scarce.¹ Visual hallucinations have often been linked to biological causes and have been considered uncommon in psychiatric samples. However, recent studies suggest that almost 30% of visual hallucinations occur in the context of psychosis.¹ The risk of psychopathology is often a cause of concern when children report visual hallucinations, especially when associated with poor functioning. A detailed history must be taken to determine whether reported hallucinations are a phenomenon of typical development (for example, imaginary friends, or hypnopompic or hypnogogic hallucinations), a symptom of trauma or anxiety, or have another etiology. In the presence of confirmed distressing complex hallucinations, clinicians should clarify whether they are neurological in origin or are a symptom of an established psychiatric disorder.