"But this time, something was different. Emma seemed distant, distracted and withdrawn. Her suitcase was haphazardly packed with seemingly random items. She had gone through the Fall semester forgetting to text her friends back and would go days without calling her parents and admitted to spending long hours alone in her dorm room, losing track of time. At one point, Emma told her family she was having trouble focusing and felt like her mind was "sluggish.""
"For Emma and other adolescents and young adults, these changes could be easily mistaken for stress, burnout, or depression. In some, these could be the earliest warning signs of the prodromal phase of schizophrenia. The prodromal phase refers to the period prior to the full spectrum of schizophrenia symptoms developing. This represents the earliest stage of the illness in which individuals have subtle changes in mood, behavior and thinking, and can last weeks to years before a full episode of psychos"
An otherwise reliable college student developed subtle changes including social withdrawal, disorganized belongings, poor attention, declining grades, reduced communication, long periods alone, and slowed thinking. Such changes in adolescents and young adults can resemble stress, burnout, or depression but may represent the prodromal phase of schizophrenia. The prodrome involves early shifts in mood, behavior, and cognition that can precede psychosis by weeks to years. Early recognition and support, including assessment and intervention, can improve long-term outcomes and reduce functional decline. Family observation, residential staff notices, and academic changes can provide early clues prompting evaluation.
Read at Psychology Today
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