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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
Behaviour of my son
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD) , bipolar disorder , dementia , electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) , learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) , panic , personality disorders, phobias , post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) , schizophrenia , stress , transitions, and work problems.
Behaviour of my son
by Vela Francisco, Oct 10, 1999 12:00AM
It happens that the brother of my wife has accute schizophrenia which actually keeps him away from anything that we could consider as a normal life.
We have got two sons, a daughter three years old and a osn fourteen months old.
Lately my son has a difficult behaviour, he injures himself by hitting the floor with his head, and becomes really histeric whenever you try to dress or undress him.
My question is: Are there any signs of danger?, and is there any way to prevent through education or environment the possibility of mental disease?
I´ve heard that the possibility of developing schizophrenia is 1% for anyone, but turns into 3% if you´ve got a close relative with this problem.
Thanks in advance,
Vela Franc
We have got two sons, a daughter three years old and a osn fourteen months old.
Lately my son has a difficult behaviour, he injures himself by hitting the floor with his head, and becomes really histeric whenever you try to dress or undress him.
My question is: Are there any signs of danger?, and is there any way to prevent through education or environment the possibility of mental disease?
I´ve heard that the possibility of developing schizophrenia is 1% for anyone, but turns into 3% if you´ve got a close relative with this problem.
Thanks in advance,
Vela Franc
Doctor's Answer
by HFHS MD - RG, Oct 11, 1999 12:00AM
Dear Vela Franc,
You are concerned that your son may be at risk for schizophrenia or other mental illness. First degree biological relatives of individuals with schizophrenia have a risk of schizophrenia 10x higher than the general population. The risk for schizophrenia in the general population is 1% and may be as high as 12% for certain first degree relatives (i.e. children of schizophrenics).Although schizophrenia has been reported at times in children (as young as 5 years old) its onset is usually in adolescence and early adulthood. This would indicate that your son's symptoms are not due to schizophrenia.
Oftentimes, a fourteen-month-old child may assert his newfound "independence" by certain behaviors which adults find offensive and abnormal.
If you feel that your son is not manageable at this point, I advise that you consult with a mental health professional or a pediatrician for an evaluation.
Sincerely,
HFHS MD - RG
*KEYWORD: CHILD
You are concerned that your son may be at risk for schizophrenia or other mental illness. First degree biological relatives of individuals with schizophrenia have a risk of schizophrenia 10x higher than the general population. The risk for schizophrenia in the general population is 1% and may be as high as 12% for certain first degree relatives (i.e. children of schizophrenics).Although schizophrenia has been reported at times in children (as young as 5 years old) its onset is usually in adolescence and early adulthood. This would indicate that your son's symptoms are not due to schizophrenia.
Oftentimes, a fourteen-month-old child may assert his newfound "independence" by certain behaviors which adults find offensive and abnormal.
If you feel that your son is not manageable at this point, I advise that you consult with a mental health professional or a pediatrician for an evaluation.
Sincerely,
HFHS MD - RG
*KEYWORD: CHILD
