You must read each slide, and complete any questions on the slide, in sequence.
Critical Thinking Exercise
Childhood Schizophrenia
As noted in the textbook, about 200,000 new cases of schizophrenia are diagnosed in the United States each year. Although the onset of schizophrenia generally occurs during young adulthood, it can appear in childhood. Schizophrenia has a strong genetic component and therefore can run in families. Childhood schizophrenia is relatively rare, with rates ranging from 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 40,000 diagnosed each year. According to the Mayo Clinic (2014), when schizophrenia begins early in life, symptoms may come on gradually. Over time, the symptoms often become more severe and more noticeable. Children whose symptoms begin earlier and with a more insidious onset tend to have poorer prognoses throughout their lifetime. For example, children may experience hallucinations, delusions, and difficulty organizing their thoughts, and experience “breaks from reality” that often require hospitalization and medical treatment. Such symptoms in early childhood may sometimes be mistakenly attributed to a “healthy imagination”. These symptoms, however, are much more intense and atypical for developmentally appropriate imaginative play.
One famous case of childhood schizophrenia is that of Jani Schofield, who is perhaps the youngest child ever to be treated for the disorder (Caba, 2014). Her younger brother Bodhi also started showing signs of the illness. You can watch the story of Jani and Bohdi Schofield on YouTube. (Please note that the complete documentary, Born Schizophrenic: Jani & Bohdi’s Journey, requires a payment to view. However, you can watch the full documentary for free as Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and so on.). As you watch the documentary, answer the following questions:
1 of 9
What type of schizophrenia has Jani been diagnosed with?
Your answer has been provisionally accepted. You'll get full credit for now, but your instructor may update your grade later after evaluating it.
2 of 9
What symptoms does Jani demonstrate? How do these symptoms compare with the symptoms described in your textbook?
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3 of 9
How has Jani’s schizophrenia affected her family?
Your answer has been provisionally accepted. You'll get full credit for now, but your instructor may update your grade later after evaluating it.
4 of 9
Jani experiences what types of hallucinations and delusions?
Your answer has been provisionally accepted. You'll get full credit for now, but your instructor may update your grade later after evaluating it.
5 of 9
What was Bohdi’s original diagnosis? Do you think that growing up with Jani may have contributed to some of his symptoms? Why or why not?
Your answer has been provisionally accepted. You'll get full credit for now, but your instructor may update your grade later after evaluating it.
6 of 9
What treatments have Jani and Bohdi undergone? Have they been successful? Explain.
Your answer has been provisionally accepted. You'll get full credit for now, but your instructor may update your grade later after evaluating it.
7 of 9
The story of Jani and Bohdi seems to support the idea that blank factors play a significant role in many cases of schizophrenia.
8 of 9
blank are a prime example of a symptom of schizophrenia that is often rooted in culture.
9 of 9
Using research presented in your textbook, distinguish between the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
Suggested Answer: Positive symptoms reflect an excess or distortion of normal functioning and include delusions, hallucinations, and disturbances in sensation, thinking, and speech. Negative symptoms, in contrast, refer to marked deficits or decreases in behavioral or emotional functioning. For example, a flat affect, alogia (greatly reduced production of speech), and avolition (the inability to initiate or persist in even simple forms of goal-directed behavior) can also be present with schizophrenia.