First Episode Psychosis in Children: Precursors of Psychotic Disorders and Gaps in Research

Although first episode psychosis in adults has been the subject of extensive exploration, the precursors, treatment, and outcome of children and adolescents with a first episode of psychosis are less frequently investigated. Psychotic symptoms are relatively common in youth who experience marked trauma or severe mood disturbance, but questions also remain about the relationships between early adversity, cognitive and psychosocial impairments, and the stability of psychotic disorders in childhood through adolescence and adulthood. This editorial emphasizes the need for studies of the diagnosis, treatment, psychosocial course and outcome of children and adolescents who experience first episode psychosis.