Risk factors for early-onset psychosis relate to the interaction of environmental and biological factors in vulnerable individuals. A positive family history, birth complications, advanced parental age, childhood developmental abnormalities and early infections are some of the biological factors that have been reported.

There are relatively few epidemiological studies on adolescent-onset psychosis. It is generally held that the incidence of psychosis, and especially of schizophrenia, increases markedly during the teenage years.

Our study is a descriptive review of adolescents with psychotic symptoms admitted to a child and adolescent psychiatric unit in Portugal.

It aims to describe their demographic profile, associated risk factors and clinical profile, and management strategies used. This is a retrospective study of the files of all adolescent patients, aged 13–18 years, admitted to a child and adolescent psychiatric unit with first psychotic break, so as their relapses, from January 2009, to September 2011.