[momma24rn]

Our fs is 2 this month. He has been with us for almost a year. He was put in foster care d/t neglect. birthmom is with significant mental health issues including schizophrenia. She has been in and out of jail and treatment centers this whole past year. She does not conform to any recommendations/medications for her illness. She is simply UNABLE to parent. BD is better. I really didn't even know he had mental health issues until last court date when dcs brought up that he had a schizophrenia diagnosis and refused to seek treatment or take meds.
My question- Baby J is an active loving little boy. I see NO unusual behavior. When he first came to us he was quiet and NEVER EVER cried I would find him awake in the crib at midnight just sitting there and I would have no idea how long he'd been awake because he woukld not make ANY noise. Now he wakes upo and yells MOMMY and lets us all know he is awake and wants attention. This is the only thing I have ever noticed- and it is better. What are his chances of developing mental health problems. Would we pick up on anything at this age. It doesn't matter. We love him and will adopt the minute we get the chance, but I am trying to educate myself and know what to watch for and when, etc.
Thank You

[Sdirector]

That is a tough one, and you will get different answers.

My experience... my oldest came to live with us when he was eleven months old. Today, at age 14, he is an extremely well adjusted child. His Bmom has many mental health issues. The most we notice with him is a bit of impulsiveness. He did have ADHD issues when younger, but these were basically handled through some different parenting approaches, and we never had to use medication. Otherwise, he is perfect, and shows no signs of issues with mental health. We do not know who his bfather is, so although I can give you no direct history, I am sure that his mental health is not all that great, given that anyone who would be this close to the bmother probably has some issues as well.

We are in the process of adopting his biological (half) sister. She is 12, and came to live with us around three months ago. She lived with Bmom for 8 years. She has multiple issues, among the worst, severe ADHD. They felt that there were many others as well, but as she has been with us, in a stable, loving home, many of these are fading. We are gradually refining (eleminating) many of her medications, but I can tell you that the ADHD meds will not be going away right off. Many of her issues appear to be related to past abuse, and poor parenting, and I think that we can make it through them.

It seems that you have your son young enough, that you may be fine as well. And then again, remember, that there are many people with biological children that develop mental health problems. He is probably too young for you to pick up on anything right now.

[sadoyle1216]

It is highly unlikely that you'd be able to see signs of mental illness in a child this young. You may want to familiarize yourself with potential behaviors as the child gets older, but don't go overboard. Many normal childhood behaviors can be misinterpreted as mental illness. With both parents having been diagnosed with schizophrenia, the child does have a higher possibility that he will develop the disorder, but it's not a guarantee. Research is showing that mental illness has a genetic link, but more in the form of a predispostition to developing the condition. The traditional onset of schizophrenia is in the late teens-early 20's, though onset may be earlier in subsequent generations. It's good that you are aware of the condition for both of the biological parents, so you can keep an eye out for possible indications of that or other mental health conditions.

[momma24rn]

when you say a predisposition to develop -do you mean that the genetic link can be there but not really manifest itself? I have read some on the web and if I understand it right then he could actually have the genetic link but less of a chance to develop it if he is in a stable , loving home then say if he were living in a home with significant instability and "triggers".
does that paragraph even make sense? I'm not asking for gaurentees, We love J and will pray that he becomes our son but I'm trying hard to understand what I can about this illness. Thank you for your answers.

[Sdirector]

I would agree... the genetic link MAY be there, but much of it is enviromenal as well. Your own efforts to make a stalbe will go a long way... yes, sometimes it isn't enough, but it sure can help.

[ajjhmf]

Originally Posted by momma24rn

when you say a predisposition to develop -do you mean that the genetic link can be there but not really manifest itself? I have read some on the web and if I understand it right then he could actually have the genetic link but less of a chance to develop it if he is in a stable , loving home then say if he were living in a home with significant instability and "triggers".
does that paragraph even make sense? I'm not asking for gaurentees, We love J and will pray that he becomes our son but I'm trying hard to understand what I can about this illness. Thank you for your answers.

One thing to keep in mond is that many people with schizophrenia come from loving, stable homes. There was recently a cover story on cnn.com about a 21 year old who had a full ride to Johns Hopkins and then ended up losing everything due to the onset of his schizophrenia. I believe the new movie "The Soloist" is about a similar story.

I would just be aware that there may not be anything you can do to prevent him from becoming schizophrenic despite your best efforts. Just like I probably can't prevent my biological kids from developing major depressive disorder either...kwim?

[sadoyle1216]

Yeah, the predisposition means that he may be more likely to develop the disorder due to his genetic make up. Unfortunately, there are no hard and fast rules as to how much of it is genetically determined and how much of it is environmentally determined. I've seen people who have their first psychotic break and are from stable, upper class families and some with horribly unstable backgrounds. There are structural changes in the brains of those with schizophrenia, unfortunately it is uncertain if these structural changes are due to the illness or a by-product of it. The one thing that I will say is those with a supportive family tend to be higher functioning than those who don't.