Prognosis in Young People
When people with early onset schizophrenia are followed up into adulthood, their outcomes can be categorised as 'Good' (minimal disturbance), 'Moderate' or 'Poor' (unable to function in most areas & needing supervision). The following graph illustrates that poor outcomes are common in early onset schizophrenia cohorts, and are even worse when onset is pre-adolescent.
Earlier onset of schizophrenia is associated with worse prognosis. Amongst those who develop schizophrenia before age 18, poorest prognosis is associated with:
- Premorbid developmental delay
- Premorbid social isolation