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Childhood-Onset Psychosis: A large UK case series
Mitra S Sato1, Anthony James2, Marinos Kyriakopoulos3,4,5
1Faculty of Medicine, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, UK.
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
|October 27, 2025
Summary
Childhood-onset psychosis (COP) is a severe disorder. This UK case series is the largest and most diverse globally, highlighting high rates of neurodevelopmental conditions and treatment resistance.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Pediatrics
- Genetics
Background:
- Childhood-onset psychosis (COP) is a rare and severe psychiatric disorder.
- Understanding COP's characteristics is crucial for early intervention and treatment.
- Existing case series are limited in size and ethnic diversity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present the largest UK case series of Childhood-Onset Psychosis.
- To describe the demographic, clinical, and familial characteristics of COP probands.
- To analyze the ethnic diversity and comorbidity patterns in this cohort.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case series analysis of 39 families (105 individuals) diagnosed with COP between 2016 and 2019.
- Inclusion criteria: hospitalization and diagnosis of a psychotic disorder by age 13.
- Data collection included demographic information, family history, comorbidities, and treatment.
Main Results:
- The cohort represents the most ethnically diverse collection of COP cases worldwide.
- Females were diagnosed at a later mean age than males (11y 9m vs 10y 6m).
- 59% of probands had comorbid neurodevelopmental conditions, and one-third received clozapine treatment.
Conclusions:
- This study provides valuable insights into the largest and most diverse UK COP cohort to date.
- The high prevalence of neurodevelopmental comorbidities underscores the complexity of COP.
- Treatment resistance, indicated by clozapine use, highlights the severity of these cases.
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