In colloquial speech, the concept of psychosis in children implies the manifestation of tantrums or age-related crises. From the point of view of doctors, the essence of this phenomenon is much more serious. Such mental disorder in minors is rarely detected. It is important to timely identify the disease and conduct adequate therapy.
Difficulties in making a diagnosis
Psychosis in children has nothing to do with loud crying and rolling on the floor, which from time to time is observed in almost every baby. Such a mental disorder is characterized by a certain set of symptoms. To make this diagnosis, a patient must be examined by doctors of various specialties. Why is it so difficult to detect mental deviation in minors? The fact is that problems with thinking and speech are evidence of a disturbance in mental balance. Since these processes are weakly formed in small patients, it is difficult for a doctor to determine the nature of the deviation. The only diagnostic criterion will be behavior.
Experts are not sure that it is necessary to distinguish between psychosis in children and people of puberty. Some doctors suggest that adolescent mental disorders should be identified in a special category. Their manifestations will differ from signs of behavioral abnormalities in babies.
Another diagnostic difficulty is the similarity of the symptoms of psychosis, hysterical personality traits and neurosis. In general, all mental disorders lead to a lack of adequate perception and difficulties in social life.
What factors contribute to the development of pathology?
Today, experts do not have a clear answer to this question. But there is evidence that the signs of psychosis in a child arise due to the following circumstances:
- The use of certain medications.
- Hormonal imbalance.
- Inflammation of the meninges.
- Infectious pathologies that are accompanied by a significant increase in temperature.
- Mechanical damage during childbirth.
- The abuse of alcohol by the mother during gestation and lactation, taking medications.
- Mental overstrain, traumatic events.
- Bad heredity, a manifestation of signs of mental disorders in any member of the family.
- Wrong trends in education (callousness, violence both on the physical and emotional level).
This disorder can begin both in preschool and later in life. As a rule, a pathology that was provoked by a factor (for example, a serious illness) goes away on its own after the symptoms of the underlying disease disappear. When the baby's body is restored, mental balance also returns to normal. In some cases, psychosis in children occurs without exposure to environmental circumstances. Experts believe that this can be explained by biochemical disorders. They develop as a result of heavy delivery, the use of alcohol or drugs by the mother. Adverse circumstances only provoke the symptoms of mental disorders to which the patient was predisposed.
Signs of pathology
With psychoses in children, the symptoms are as follows:
- Hallucinations with visual and auditory character. The patient sees things, people, animals or events that are not really there. He can talk about sounds, touches or smells that are absent in the real world.
- Confused nature of consciousness. This symptom manifests itself in the process of speech. Statements of the patient are meaningless, not connected with each other.
- Impulsive behavior. It can be rampant fun, anger. The child is annoyed by trifles, breaks objects, cruelly treats pets.
- Aggression in relation to people, both to peers, and to adults. When visiting a school, the patient calls his peers, fights.
- Fluctuations in appetite. A child can constantly experience hunger, and after some time completely refuse food.
- A long stay in the same position, poor facial expressions, frozen or sad expression of the eyes.
- Lability of emotional background. Apathy and sadness are replaced by excitement, anger.
- Strong manifestations of feelings. This symptom is expressed in loud crying, resentment, bouts of fear.
- Sleep disturbances (increased activity at night, weakness in the daytime).
- Constant headaches, fatigue for no particular reason.
- External signs of the disease (cold skin, profuse sweat, dry lips, an increase in pupil volume). The sight of such a patient gives the impression that he is suffering from fever.
Psychosis in children aged 1 year
In infants, mental disorders are very difficult to detect. Deviations can be suspected in the presence of autistic tendencies in behavior. The kid does not smile, he does not have a manifestation of emotions. The development of the speech process is delayed. Obsessive actions (e.g. clapping) are observed. The baby is not interested in surrounding objects, does not show affection for relatives. When patients with such a deviation become older, the diagnosis of psychosis in children is not so difficult for specialists.
Manifestation of mental disorder at the age of two
As a rule, this condition is associated with the influence of provoking factors. Such circumstances include various infectious pathologies, the use of medications, high fever, poor functioning of the immune system or lack of nutrients. An important role is played by genetics. The course of psychoses in a 2-year-old child can be acute, while they occur suddenly and are clearly manifested. Sometimes the disease is protracted or periodically provokes a worsening of the condition.
According to reviews, in some cases, the pathology makes itself felt for a long time.
In two-year-old patients, psychosis can be suspected in the presence of apathy, sleep disorders, refusal to eat, bouts of pain in the head and a strong heartbeat. Since the ailment is often associated with bodily diseases, the child should be examined by specialists of different profiles. For example, you need to check how correctly the organs of vision work, whether the baby has hearing and speech disorders.
Manifestations at the age of three
The disease is characterized by deviations in behavior, lack of logic in statements. The patient does strange things. Psychosis in a child of 3 years can also be suspected in the presence of sudden mood changes. Reactions to external circumstances in the patient are inadequate. For example, he may get angry at a harmless remark, invent new words or laugh in a situation where you need to be sad. In addition, the child sees or feels that which is not.
Sometimes it is difficult for parents to distinguish fantasies from hallucinations of various kinds. Naturally, the boy can play the prince, who saves the beauty from the dragon. However, if the patient really sees the monster, he experiences pronounced emotions, such as intense fear, and behaves accordingly.
Attacks of mania and depression in a child
This condition is extremely rare in minors. Before adolescence, pathology is difficult to detect due to the absence of symptoms. Most often, the disease manifests itself in the puberty due to a change in the balance of hormones.
Manic-depressive psychosis in children can develop under the influence of the following reasons:
- Bad heredity.
- Age of mother and father (the older the parents, the higher the likelihood of pathology).
- Sleep disorders.
- Mental stress, stressful situations.
- Pathologies of an infectious nature.
Children with this disease have no signs of mania. But there are such deviations as:
- Increased activity.
- Excessive gaiety.
- Early interest in sex.
- Aggression.
- Excitation.
Such symptoms are present for a certain time, and then replaced by others:
- Feeling overwhelmed, lethargic.
- Increased drowsiness.
- Discomfort in different parts of the body. In this case, the patient cannot indicate the localization of discomfort.
- Insomnia.
- Fears.
- Whims, refusal of game occupations.
- Suicidal tendency.
Consequences of Mental Disorder
This pathology does not pose a direct threat to life. However, its complications are very unpleasant. Reviews indicate that the child becomes detached, uncommunicative, aggressive, his character deteriorates, intellectual activity is impaired. Sometimes parents attribute behavioral changes to crises that go away on their own. However, such deviations are not as harmless as it might seem. Psychosis in a child of 5 years and older has a bad effect on interaction with peers in educational institutions (in kindergarten, at school).
Outbreaks of anger and uncontrolled reactions make it difficult to interact with others.
Diagnostics
To identify this pathology, you need to observe the patient for a long time. First, an examination is carried out, a conversation with the child and his relatives. Then, specialists should do examinations, laboratory tests, tests to determine mental abilities, social skills, development of speech and hearing. In some cases, it is necessary to diagnose ailments of the nervous system. For this patient is placed in a hospital.
Therapy
With psychosis in children, treatment depends on the cause of the disorder, the symptoms and their severity. Often, such deviations develop in juvenile patients under the influence of traumatic events. In this case, the pathology disappears on its own. The more time passes from the moment the stress factor appears, the better the patient's condition becomes. In this case, classes with a psychologist and creating a calm environment help. If mental illness is caused by bodily pathology, the doctor should pay attention to the treatment of the underlying ailment. Medications are prescribed only in situations where the patient is angry.
What do parents need to do?
In the presence of psychosis in children, the symptoms and signs of which are described above, reviews recommend that you follow these tips:
- Set a clear daily routine for the baby.
- Protect him from shocks and sudden changes.
- Try to avoid punishment, not to use violence.
- Create a warm and kind atmosphere in the house.
- If necessary, change the educational institution.