LAUSR

Although various types of hallucinations are reported at high rates during childhood, the research focusing on visual hallucinations is relatively scarce.1 Visual hallucinations have often been linked to biological causes and have been considered uncommon in psychiatric samples. However, recent studies suggest that almost 30% of visual hallucinations occur in the context of psychosis.1 The risk of psychopathology is often a cause of concern when children report visual hallucinations, especially when associated with poor functioning. A detailed history must be taken to determine whether reported hallucinations are a phenomenon of typical development (for example, imaginary friends, or hypnopompic or hypnogogic hallucinations), a symptom of trauma or anxiety, or have another etiology. In the presence of confirmed distressing complex hallucinations, clinicians should clarify whether they are neurological in origin or are a symptom of an established psychiatric disorder.