Getting help

If you think a child or young person is developing schizophrenia, it is very important to get professional help quickly, via the GP. You can go without the child if they do not want to come or do not think they have a problem. It can be helpful to write down a list of reasons you think they might have schizophrenia, and any incidents or stress factors.

If your child is under 18, your GP may decide your child needs to be referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) for an assessment of their mental health and to get some support. Alternatively, if there is an early intervention team in your local area, the GP may make a referral to this service. These are teams of healthcare professionals set up specifically to work with people who have experienced their first episode of psychosis. Some early intervention teams may only focus on a certain age range, such as people who are 14 to 35 years old.

If your child is over 18 they will need to ask for the help themselves, by requesting a referral to Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS), or to the early intervention service described above.

If your child’s symptoms are putting themselves or other people in danger, you may need to call the emergency services for safety reasons. You can also take your child to the local A&E department and ask for an emergency psychiatric assessment. Involving the emergency services can be difficult and upsetting, but it may be the only way of keeping them safe and making sure your child gets some help.

It may be decided that the best thing to do is to admit your child to hospital for assessment or treatment under the Mental Health Act.

Treatment
If your child is diagnosed with schizophrenia, they will usually be offered antipsychotic medication to help with their symptoms. This medication needs to be taken regularly and may have side effects so it is important to talk to medical staff if you are worried about the medication.

Talking therapy is often offered to help with the emotional effects of schizophrenia, this may be counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy. You and other family members may be offered support to help understand their difficulties.

Self-help and support groups can also be very effective in helping people with schizophrenia. Reducing stress, and using exercise and relaxation techniques can also help.

It is possible to recover from having schizophrenia, and one third of people who are diagnosed with it only have one episode in their lives. Many people with schizophrenia are able to be mostly well and to carry on with work, studies and family life, as long as they have the right support and are alert to the signs of that their illness might be returning.