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 has now started showing signs of the illness. Jani’s parents maintain a web site dedicated their family’s struggle with schizophrenia (http://janifoundation.org/blog/). You can also 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. After you view Part 1, for example, you can click on “Part 2” on the right-hand side of the screen). As you watch the documentary, answer the following questions:

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