Indicates that in diagnoses of mental disorders, Blacks are often diagnosed as schizophrenic, while Whites are more frequently diagnosed as being manic depressive, a less stigmatizing condition. Suggests that biases regarding socioeconomic status lead to misdiagnosis of Blacks. Stresses the need to consider socioeconomic and cultural factors in…

Describes the characteristics of adolescent schizophrenia, which is often confused with other conditions. Symptoms may include affective disturbance, autism, thought disorder, and ambivalence. Clinical features of the illness are discussed and the importance of early treatment is emphasized. (JAC)

The effect of edited videotapes combining self-modeling stimuli with cartoon reinforcements on the tantrum behavior of a seven-year-old schizophrenic retarded girl was evaluated. Results demonstrated a correlation between the videotape intervention and substantial reduction of tantrum behaviors along with an increase in task persistence. (CL)

The use of neuroleptic medicine in the treatment of schizophrenia is often predicated on the goal of eliminating psychotic symptoms. Use of neuroleptics, however, may produce unfortunate side effects. A case is presented which illustrates the time-limited use of neuroleptics. (JN)

Earlier project reports compared childhood social behavior of nonmigratory schizophrenics and normal classmates by analyzing teachers' comments in school records. This article expands the sample to include migratory schizophrenics and analyzes childhood intellectual functioning. Behavioral differences indicated emotional immaturity and social…

This article for teachers provides basic information on psychiatric disorders and treatments. It covers oppositional defiant and conduct disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression or other mood disorders, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders, and autistic spectrum disorders. Insets provide additional…

The validity of the schizophrenia subscale of the Psychopathology Instrument for Mentally Retarded Adults (PIMRA) was evaluated with 65 adults having mild to moderate mental retardation as well as either schizophrenia, depression, or no psychopathology. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted, as were interrater reliability analyses.…

Compared clinical and psycholinguistic approaches to the measurement of verbal behavior according to their ability to discriminate among individuals with schizophrenia, manic- depression, and controls. On the linguistic measures, the speech of individuals with schizophrenia differed significantly from the other two groups in productivity and…

Discusses the advances made in understanding the brain structures responsible for language. Presents findings made using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomographic (PET) scans to study brain activity. These findings map the structures in the brain that manipulate concepts and those that turn concepts into words. (MCO)

Presents research findings relating to the major disorders of the mind and brain. Discusses the anatomic, biochemical and hereditary bases of schizophrenia and manic-depressive illness. Vignettes provide additional information and diagrams of the brain stress system, medicines for mental disorders, and a graph of generational trends. (MCO)

This study found that the schizophrenia subscale of the Psychopathology Instrument for Mentally Retarded Adults was a valid quantitative measure of schizophrenia if one item was removed from the scale. Comparison with a nonretarded population indicated that mentally retarded patients had less delusions and more incoherence and flat affect. They…

Examination of the records of 240 inpatients with mental retardation and 7 with autism discharged from a university hospital indicated that elderly adults had more medical problems than did adults, more elderly adults were transferred to a state hospital, and the most common diagnosis in both adults and elderly adults was chronic schizophrenia,…

Examined transcripts of 15-minute interactions in schizophrenic and other family triads (n=20) for communication pattern consistency. Families with a child diagnosed as schizophrenic were found to emphasize two communication patterns: (1) communication that is nebulous, confusing, and egocentric; and (2) communication that is disconfirming of…

Proposes a cognitive model of schizophrenia stating that schizophrenic behavior is caused by a disturbance in sensory input and stored material integration. Cites research to support this model. Outlines the manner in which a disturbance in sensory input integration relates to schizophrenic symptoms and discusses the model's relevance for…

Objective: This study compared experiences of children sexually abused by peers to those of children abused by adolescents/adults. Variables examined included perceived negativity of the abuse, self-reported outcomes, overall psychological functioning, and disclosure. Method: An archival data set containing retrospective reports of childhood…