One of the most dramatic and sad forms of mental disease that people have ever seen is schizophrenia. The illness's effects on the afflicted person, their family, and society at large are disastrous. Schizophrenia patients have both positive and negative symptoms, namely speech and movement abnormalities, delusions, hallucinations, amotivation, social disengagement, and decreased emotional response. Poor functional outcomes are caused by these disruptions, which also affect social functioning, vocational and educational performance and achievement, and the ability to live independently. Marriage is a social activity that requires particular social skills in order to succeed. Such talents can be diminished by schizophrenia, which has been linked to a low rate of marriage. In spite of this, a comparatively high rate of marriage was noted among Indians. Due to the phenomenology of schizophrenia mentioned above, it has been noted that fertility rates are lower than in the general population, and that after giving birth, these individuals have a number of challenges in raising their off spring. Parenting issues observed are: 1. Schizophrenic parents are seen as remote, insensitive, intrusive and self- absorbed, 2. Women with schizophrenia did not bond well with their infants 3. Decreased responsivity to the child’s needs, meaning parenting that is prompt, contingent on the child’s behavior, and appropriate to the child’s needs and developmental stage, time spent with the child in child-focused activities, open communication, a low level of criticism, a high level of warmth and praise, consistency, and ability to set reasonable limits. Since parental schizophrenia is a chronic stressor, it can have a significant effect on children. It is crucial to research the experiences of children who have lived with such parents. Offspring of parents with mental illness are more likely to experience mental illness such as drug abuse disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder, anxiety disorders, and personality disorders, according to a number of studies. In addition to focusing on the risk and susceptibility to psychopathology, the majority of research on children of parents with schizophrenia has shown that these children have worse overall adjustment as assessed by global adjustment measures. A number of non-diagnostic problem behaviors, such as social disengagement, hostility, strained social connections, attention issues, and neuromotor deficiencies that may be linked to diagnosable disorders, have also been reported in several of these researches. Given the paucity of Indian research in this area, this study was conducted with the goal of identifying problematic behaviors early on so that the impacted children might be recommended an appropriate solution.

STUDY SETTINGS: The present study was conducted at psychiatry department of a tertiary care hospital located in a major city. STUDY PERIOD: One year STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive study SAMPLE SIZE: 30 Children aged between 11 years to 18 years, whose parents received the diagnosis of Schizophrenia were approached. INCLUSION CRITERIA 1. Patients with ICD 10 diagnosis of Schizophrenia who consent to participate in the study. 2. Children of in-patients aged 11 to 18 years EXCLUSION CRITERIA 1. Patients with a diagnosis of Schizophrenia with a serious medical illness which prevents them from participating in the study. 2. Patients with any co-morbid ICD 10 psychiatric diagnosis. 3. Patients with substance abuse disorders (apart from nicotine). 4. Children with low IQ. Methods Of Data Collection The study protocol was submitted to and officially approved by the Ethical Review committee. The study was conducted at Department of Psychiatry of a tertiary care hospital. Before being recruited for the study, all parents who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia according to ICD-10 and their kids were asked to sign a written informed consent form.

Table 1: Distribution Of Patients According To Age Age Group No. of Patients Percentages 30-35 4 13.3 36-40 10 33.3 41-45 7 23.3 46-50 7 23.3 51-55 2 6.7 Total 30 100 34% of the patient belonged to the age group of 36-40Years. Mean age of parents was 41.9 years Table 2: Distribution According To Gender Of Patients Gender No. of patients Percentage Male 9 30 Female 21 70 Total 30 100 70% of the patients recruited were females and 30% were males Table 3: Distribution According To Education Of The Patient Education Status No. of patients Percentages Illiterate 5 16.7 Primary 3 10 Secondary 13 43.3 Graduate 9 30 Total 30 100 Table 4: Distribution According To Occupation Of The Patient Occupation No. of patients Percentages Unemployed 5 16.7 Unskilled 15 50 Semi-skilled 6 20 Skilled 4 13.3 Total 30 100 Table 5: Distribution According To Religion And Residence Religion No. Of patients Percentage Hindu 28 93.33 Muslim 2 6.66 Total 30 100 Residence No. Of patients Percentage Urban 20 67. Rural 10 33 Total 30 100 Table 5: Distribution According To Religion And Residence Religion No. Of patients Percentage Hindu 28 93.33 Muslim 2 6.66 Total 30 100 Residence No. Of patients Percentage Urban 20 67. Rural 10 33 Total 30 100

All racial, ethnic, cultural, and demographic groups are affected by schizophrenia, a chronic and incapacitating mental disorder whose symptoms change over time. The intensity and length of the disease have a big impact on how well a patient responds to therapy and, therefore, how well they function overall. The psychological health of the entire family and the functioning of their children in particular are therefore directly impacted by this. The majority of parents with schizophrenia in this study sample who sought services at our center were between the ages of 36 and 40, with a significantly higher proportion of females than males. They also had a secondary level of education, were mostly unskilled workers, including housewives, were Hindu, and lived in an urban area. These characteristics are nearly identical to those of the subjects in the majority of other studies. Numerous demographic characteristics, including gender, marital status, and educational attainment, have been demonstrated to have an impact on seeking treatment services. The current study's female population was found to be greater, despite the fact that the majority of sociodemographic characteristics followed typical patterns. The patient population in the current investigation did not exhibit any major behavioral abnormalities. Only four of the thirty kids (13.2%) had symptoms, with aggression—an externalizing behavioral pattern—being the most common presentation. This seems to be consistent with some research conducted globally. Studies examining the behavioral abnormalities in children of schizophrenic parents indicate that a range of internalizing and externalizing behavioral issues, such as social disengagement, hostility, delinquent behavior, and strained social interactions, may manifest. According to 2014 research by Alexis, children with schizophrenia were more likely to exhibit externalizing behaviors (37.4%) than normal participants (14.76%) (96). According to research done at NIMHANS in India, 80% of the children of people with schizophrenia are doing well. As a result, there is disagreement in the research on how problem behaviors appear based on parental, sociocultural, and regional variables. The present study has covered some of the issues that the previous studies have not examined, like the association of duration and severity of Schizophrenia in the parent and the child’s competency.

A serious, long-lasting mental disease, schizophrenia is known to impact not just the patient's life but also the lives of those close to them. According to the literature currently available, children of schizophrenic parents are at a biological, psychological, and environmental risk of developing schizophrenia themselves. This risk can manifest as a variety of problematic behaviors during childhood or adolescence, which serve as a precursor to schizophrenia or other psychiatric diagnoses in the future. In the current study, we attempted to investigate how the severity, duration, and global functioning of parental schizophrenia affected their children's psychological functioning.

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