Rates of parental communication deviance (CD) were compared in children with schizophrenia and schizotypal personality disorder and in contrast groups of children with major depression and dysthymic disorders. Results indicated significantly higher rates of CD in parents of schizophrenic and schizotypal children than in parents of children with major depression and dysthymic disorders. Schizophrenic and schizotypal children from high CD families showed the most severe impairments and the poorest attentional functioning. However, the small number of schizophrenic and schizotypal children with low CD parents underscored the strong association between schizophrenia spectrum disorders, parental CD and psychosocial and attentional impairment in the child.
Premorbid adjustment, onset patterns, and severity of impairment were examined in 66 child psychiatric inpatients with diagnoses of schizophrenia, schizotypal personality disorder, major depression, and dysthymic disorder. When compared to children with depressive disorders, schizophrenic and schizotypal children showed poorer premorbid adjustments, lower IQs, greater impairment at hospitalization, and more chronic dysfunctions. Similar developmental patterns were found for children with schizophrenic and schizotypal disorders, and for children with major depression and dysthymic disorders. The findings underscore the severe impairment in social adaptation shown by schizophrenic and schizotypal children and the relatively good premorbid adjustments of most depressed children.
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