At times, children may imagine that they hear or see things as part of a game or as a result of their worries and fears. Younger children may even have an imaginary friend they want to sit next to at the table and have conversations with. These examples are usually just part of the normal growth of a child.
The physical disorders that can cause hallucinations include thyroid and parathyroid disease, adrenal disease, Wilson's disease, beriberi, electrolyte imbalance, and porphyria. Serious infections such as meningitis, encephalitis, or febrile illness may precipitate hallucinations.
Seek pediatric care if your child has hallucinations since they can cause nervousness and fear. Treating medical conditions and providing emotional support and encouragement may help manage some hallucinations in children.
Hallucinations can be the result of mental health problems like Alzheimer's disease, dementia or schizophrenia, but also be caused by other things including alcohol or drugs. Experiencing hallucinations can be confusing and can cause significant distress, so it's important that you seek help as soon as you can.
Hallucinations are reported in children as young as 5 years old, and the terms “early onset hallucinations” and “very early onset hallucinations” have used to refer to hallucinatory experiences occurring in young children.
When not related to substance abuse, hallucinating can be a symptom of a mental illness. Hallucinations are experienced most commonly in schizophrenia, but can also be found in schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder. For more information please see our section on Hearing voices.
Hallucinations may occur as part of normal development or may be a sign that your child is struggling with some type of emotional problems. This may be related to issues at home, school, with friends, or from experiencing upsetting thoughts and feelings.
Psychosis is an extreme mental state. Children with the disorder show impaired thinking and emotions that cause them to lose contact with reality. This could mean hearing or seeing things that aren't there (hallucinations), or believing things that aren't true (delusions).
The most common hallucinations are auditory and visual, but olfactory, gustatory (taste), tactile, proprioceptive, and somatic also occur. Hallucinations may be mood-congruent or incongruent.
ADHD may also be paired with other forms of psychosis, which may be caused by specific lifestyle factors. For instance, a 2015 study suggests that folks living with ADHD who experience hallucinations or hear voices may be linked to the use of illegal drugs, particularly at a young age.
At first impression, stimulant-induced psychosis was high on the team's differential. In fact, the usage of stimulant medications, which have known dopaminergic effects, is associated with hallucinations, delusions, and other psychotic phenomena in a small number of young children with ADHD.
Brain tumors can lead to forgetfulness, speech problems, or mood shifts. They may also cause visual hallucinations. You might see things that aren't there or act differently than you usually do.
Dehydration may cause psychotic symptoms
This can result in a state of hyponatremia, which can cause hallucinations or coma, which some may interpret as catatonia, reports MedlinePlus.
Anxiety does not typically make someone visually hallucinate, though it can cause auditory hallucinations. However, it can cause a combination of feeling hyper-alert, distracted, and more that can all lead to a sense of hallucination. Treating anxiety is the only way to prevent or reduce hallucinations.
Kids Definition
hallucination. noun. hal·lu·ci·na·tion hə-ˌlüs-ə-ˈnā-shən. : the awareness of something (as a visual image, a sound, or a smell) that seems to be experienced through one of the senses but is not real, cannot be sensed by someone else, and is usually the result of mental disorder or the effect of a ...
Researchers have shown that people with Autism are up to 3 times more likely to have hallucinations. Often when people with autism hear voices, they are hearing their own thoughts spoken aloud in their head.
In most people with schizophrenia, symptoms generally start in the mid- to late 20s, though it can start later, up to the mid-30s. Schizophrenia is considered early onset when it starts before the age of 18. Onset of schizophrenia in children younger than age 13 is extremely rare.
The exact causes of schizophrenia are unknown. Research suggests a combination of physical, genetic, psychological and environmental factors can make a person more likely to develop the condition. Some people may be prone to schizophrenia, and a stressful or emotional life event might trigger a psychotic episode.