Abstract
Background
The aims of this study were to describe the phenomenology of auditory hallucinations in children, to establish links with DSM IV diagnoses and to explore development of the hallucinations over a 12-month period.
Methods
Outpatients aged 5- to 12-year-old were consecutively recruited. They were interviewed using a questionnaire investigating auditory hallucinations. DSM IV diagnoses were determined. Follow-up assessments were performed at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months.
Results
Ninety children were recruited. Sixteen reported auditory hallucinations. In 53% we observed children’s full recovery from hallucinations within 3 months and all of these suffered from anxiety disorders. In 30% hallucinations persisted over 12 months and all showed conduct disorders at this point in time. None was diagnosed as having schizophrenia.
Conclusions
Our study provides further evidence of the high prevalence of auditory hallucinations in pre-pubertal children presenting to psychiatric clinics. Two different patterns of development were seen. In one group the hallucinations seem unrelated to psychosis although they may be a manifestation of anxiety. In the second, much smaller, persistence of hallucinations appeared linked to conduct disorders.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Psychiatric Association (1994) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 4th edition (DSM IV). American Psychiatric Press, Washington, DC
Altman H, Collins M, Mundy P (1997) Sub clinical hallucinations and delusions in non-psychotic adolescents. J Child Psychol Psychiatr 38(4):413–420
Anderson JC, Williams S, McGee R, Silva PA (1987) DSM-III disorders in preadolescent children: prevalence in a large sample from the general population. Archiv Gen Psychiatr 44(1):69–76
Burke P, Del Beccaro M, McCauley E, Clark C (1985) Hallucinations in children. J Am Acad Child Adoles Psychiatr 24:71–75
Chambers WJ, Puig-Antich J, Tabrizi MA, Davis M (1982) Psychotic symptoms in pre-pubertal major depressive disorder. Archiv Gen Psychiatr 39:921–927
Dhossche D, Ferdinand R, Van der Ende J, Hofstra MB, Verhulst F (2002) Diagnostic outcome of self-reported hallucinations in a community sample of adolescents. Psychol Med 32:619–627
Edelsohn GA, Rabinovich H, Portnoy R (2003) Hallucinations in non-psychotic children: findings from a psychiatric emergency service. Ann NY Acad Sci 1008:261–264
Escher S, Romme M, Buiks A, Delespaul P, Van Os J (2002) Independent course of childhood auditory hallucinations: a sequential 3-year follow-up study. Brit J Psychiatr 181(43):10–18
Famularo R, Kinscherff R, Fenton T (1992) Psychiatric diagnoses of maltreated children: preliminary findings. J Am Acad Child Adoles Psychiatr 31:863–867
Fenning S, Susser ES, Pilowsky D, Fenning S, Bromet E (1997) Childhood hallucinations preceding the first psychotic episode. J Nerv Mental Dis 185:115–116
Garralda ME (1982) Hallucinations in psychiatrically disordered children: preliminary communication. J Roy Soc Med 75:181–184
Garralda ME (1984a) Hallucinations in children with conduct and emotional disorders, I: the clinical phenomena. Psychol Med 14:589–596
Garralda ME (1984b) Hallucinations in children with conduct and emotional disorders: II. The follow-up study. Psychol Med 14:597–604
Hodgins S, Tiihonen J, Ross D (2005) The consequences of conduct disorder for males who develop schizophrenia: associations with criminality, aggressive behaviour, substance use, and psychiatric services. Schizophr Res 78(2-3):323–335
Kim-Cohen J, Caspi A, Moffitt TE, Harrington H, Milne BJ, Poulton R (2003) Prior juvenile diagnoses in adults with mental disorder: developmental follow-back of a prospective-longitudinal cohort. Archiv Gen Psychiatr 60:709–717
Kaufman J, Birmaher B, Brent D, Rao U, Flynn C, Moreci P, Williamson D, Ryan N (1997) Schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia for school age children present and life time version (K-SASD-PL): initial reliability and validity data. J Am Acad Child Adoles Psychiatr 36:980–988
Livingston R, Lawson L, Jones JG (1993) Predictors of self-reported psychopathology in children abused repeatedly by a parent. J Am Acad Child Adoles Psychiatr 32(3):948–953
Mertin M, Hartwig S (2004) Auditory hallucinations in non-psychotic children: diagnostic considerations. Child Adoles Mental Health 9(1):9–14
McGee R, Williams S, Poulton R (2000) Hallucinations in non-psychotic children (Letter). J Am Acad Child Adoles Psychiatr 39(1):12–13
Murase S, Hanjo S, Inoko K, Ohta T (2002) A child who visited the emergency room with stress-related non-psychotic hallucinations. Gen Hospital Psychiatr 24:448–454
Murase S, Ochiai S, Ohta T (2000) Separation anxiety leads to non-psychotic hallucinations. J Am Acad Child Adoles Psychiatr 39(11):1345
Rhoades HM, Overall JE (1998) The semi-structured BPRS interview and rating guide. Psychopharmacol Bull 24(1):101–104
Poulton R, Caspi A, Moffit TE, Cannon M, Murray R, Harrington HL (2000) Children’s self reported psychotic symptoms and adult schizophreniform disorder. A 15 year longitudinal study. Archiv Gen Psychiatr 57:1053–1058
Robins L (1966) Deviant children grown up. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, USA
Robins LN (1993) Childhood conduct problems, adult psychopathology, and crime. In: Hodgins S (ed) Mental disorder and crime. Sage Publications, Inc., Newbury park, Canada, pp 173–193
Robins LN, Price RK (1991) Adult disorders predicted by childhood conduct problems: results from the NIMH epidemiologic catchments area project. Psychiatry 54:116–132
Ryan ND, Puig-Antich J, Ambrosini P, Rabinovich H, Robinson D, Nelson B, Iyengar S, Twomey J (1987) The clinical picture of major depression in children and adolescents. Archiv Gen Psychiatr 44(10):854–861
Schreier HA (1999) Hallucinations in non-psychotic children: more common than we think? J Am Acad Child Adoles Psychiatr 38(5):623–625
Schreier HA (1998) Auditory hallucinations in non-psychotic children with affective syndromes and migraines: report of 13 cases. J Child Neurol 13:377–382
Schreier HA, Libow JA (1986) Acute phobic hallucinations in very young children. J Am Acad Child Adoles Psychiatr 25(4):574–578
Tanner JM, Whitehouse RH (1976) Clinical longitudinal standards for height, weight, height velocity, weight velocity and stages of puberty. Archiv Dis Childhood 51(3):170–179
Taylor E, Rogers JW (2005) Practitioner review: early adversity and developmental disorders. J Child Psychol Psychiatr 46(5):451–467
Tien AY (1991) Distribution of hallucinations in the population. Soc Psychiatr Psychiatr Epidemiol 26(6):287–292
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Professor Philip Graham for assistance in preparing this manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Askenazy, F.L., Lestideau, K., Meynadier, A. et al. Auditory hallucinations in pre-pubertal children. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 16, 411–415 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-006-0577-9
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-006-0577-9