Adult outcome of social function in adolescent-onset schizophrenia and affective psychosis

Objective: To examine and compare the adult outcome in a representative sample of hospitalized adolescent-onset psychoses including occupational and social aspects. Method: A total of 81 patients with a first episode of early-onset psychosis (before age 19 years) presenting to the University Hospital of Lund, Sweden, between 1982 and 1993 were followed up an average of 10.5 years (range 5.1-18.2) after admission. Initial diagnosis was assessed from records and consisted of DSM-IVschizophrenia (n = 32), schizoaffective disorder (n = 7), bipolar disorder (n = 25), and major depressive disorder with psychotic features (n = 17). All could be traced and assigned a major outcome group. Results: Early-onset schizophrenia spectrum disorder suffered a chronic course with a poor outcome in 79% of the cases, while early-onset affective psychosis in 74% showed a good or intermediate outcome. The poor outcome (26%) in the affective group was connected to mental retardation in 7% and to progression to a schizoaffective disorder in 12%. A particularly severe outcome was seen for schizophrenia spectrum patients with a family history of nonaffective psychosis. Conclusions: Early-onset schizophrenia spectrum disorder showed a severe course while affective psychoses had a much more benign functional outcome.