Anxiety Disorders And Perceptual Disturbances In Adolescents With 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome Treated With Ssri: A Case Series

Introduction:Psychotic symptoms are highly prevalent in adolescents with 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome (22qDS), with as many as half reporting transient psychotic symptoms. Anxiety is also commonly seen in this population, and patients frequently report both psychotic symptoms and anxiety.Objective:To describe the psychiatric presentation, course and management of primary anxiety disorders in patients with 22qDS who also presented with isolated perceptual disturbances.Method:This report describes a 24-month clinical follow-up of three patients with 22qDS who were seen in the Medical Psychiatry clinic at the Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto, Canada).Results:Patients presented with primary anxiety disorders and perceptual disturbances. Patients were placed on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor only, with improvement of both anxiety and perceptual disturbances being noted.Conclusions:Some patients with 22qDS who present with psychotic symptoms do not develop a psychotic disorder; therefore, the use of antipsychotics for every child or adolescent with 22qDS who experience psychotic symptoms is debatable. Long-term follow-up, phenomenological and treatment efficacy studies in larger samples are needed to determine optimal treatment of psychotic symptoms in children and adolescents with 22qDS.