At Issue: Schizophrenia and Attentional Deficit Disorder (ADD): Reply to Kaffman

Abstract

Kaffman's critique (1986) of the National Institute of Mental Health-Israeli High-Risk Study pointed to the existence of children who were considered to be suffering from Attentional Deficit Disorder (ADD) among the offspring of the schizophrenic parents—who were considered adult ADD patients rather than schizophrenic patients. We feel this viewpoint represents a misunderstanding of the nature and genesis of ADD and schizophrenia. While a subgroup of the offspring of schizophrenic parents do show “ADD-like” behavior, we believe that their disorder represents a separate and different entity. This is based upon the epidemiological evidence of the differing family patterns on the one hand, and some findings of differing attentional deficits on the other hand. A literature review of these findings is presented as a basis for our view about the differences between ADD and schizophrenia.