Schizophrenia has a typical onset in children in their late teens and early twenties. Causes are unclear – combination of genetics, environment, and other factors. If you notice cognitive changes in your child, seek medical attention early. When schizophrenia is diagnosed in early stages, brain damage is lessened, and recurring episodes are less severe. New injectable medicines can last for months, allowing patients to focus on their lives, not their diagnosis.

Our first guest, Brooke Kempf, PMHNP, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner has decades of experience working in community mental health centers with psychological trauma. Ms. Kempf is a trailblazer, as she developed medication monitoring services and treatment clinics for individuals with serious mental illness and excelled at providing nursing services to group home residents. Ms. Kempf obtained her master’s degree from the State University at Stony Brook of New York and is board Certified by the ANCC as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.

Our second guest, Katie Hayes, RN has been a registered nurse for 36 years. She is also a caregiver to her adult son, who is now thirty years old and living with schizophrenia. Katie supported her adult son as he dealt with his diagnosis, being in and out of the hospital, and trying to find a treatment option that worked best for him.

Both urge parents to get your child diagnosed and treated early on, breaking through the shame and self-guilt. Schizophrenia is a medical diagnosis, noone’s fault. Early treatment can reduce brain damage, and enable independence and success in life even with this disease.