[Behavior disorders in the childhood and adolescence of schizophrenic patients: A retrospective study]

Usually Schizophrenia starts in late adolescence or early adulthood. However in childhood it is associated with significant impairment. The aim of this study is to investigate behavior disorders of schizophrenic patients in this particular period of life, and whether the presence of these disorders leads to predict a subsequent development of schizophrenia.

Our study is retrospective, about a group of patients with schizophrenia, conducted in the university department of psychiatry of Fez. The study of the behavior of our patients during their childhood and adolescence is based on interviews with the parents of the subjects. We also used the teen version of the Child Behavior Cheklist 4-18 (CBCL).

The sample included a total of 100 patients with a schizophrenia disorder, of which 80 were male, the average age was 25.36±-3.54 years. According to parents, 60 % of our patients were shy and too wise; a third of them had a preference for solitary games, and they were disobedient at home and school, frequently fighting, breaking the laws, taking drugs. Finally 20 % were very aggressive, attacking and hitting others - they even destroyed their personal possessions - and had run away from home. The average CBCL score was 41.69±-26,397, with 47 % above the threshold. Several factors were significantly related to a high CBCL score: gender, early age of onset of schizophrenia, and a traumatic event in childhood.

Childhood and adolescence are characterized by the presence of many symptoms and behavior disorders. Although they are not very specific, their presence should alert the clinician to the significant probability of developing schizophrenia, especially in a risky population.