Schizophrenia

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Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that is usually diagnosed by a psychiatrist and affects an individual's daily life.^[1] For some people, it is a lifelong mental disorder that causes them to behave, feel, and/or think abnormally.

Schizophrenia can cause psychotic symptoms like hallucinations or delusions. However, not all people with schizophrenia have these symptoms all the time. Schizophrenia can also cause problems with cognition (thinking) and mood.^[2]

Schizophrenia is a common disorder, affecting one in 200 people.^[3] However, its exact cause is unknown. Genetics and/or environmental factors may play a role. If one child in a family shows clear signs of schizophrenia, there is a higher risk that other family members will have these same symptoms.

People with schizophrenia typically have a higher risk of self-harm compared to the general populations. This might be due to hallucinations, depression, and/or other factors.

Prevention is difficult because there is no reliable way to find out in advance who will get schizophrenia.^[4] Attempting to prevent schizophrenia in the pre-onset phase with anti-psychotic drugs is of uncertain benefit and so is not recommended (as of 2009).^[5] The British NICE guidelines recommend cognitive behavioural talk therapy for all people at risk.^[6]

Schizophrenia is treatable. Many people with the disorder live normal lives with a combination of a therapy and medications.

Schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder (DID) have some of the same symptoms.^[7] Some similar mental illnesses include schizotypal personality disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and schizoid personality disorder.

1. ↑ "ICD-11: 6A20 Schizophrenia". World Health Organization. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
2. ↑ "Schizophrenia What is schizophrenia?". www.nimh.nih.gov. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
3. ↑ Ferri F.F. 2019. Ferri's clinical advisor 2019 : 5 books in 1. pp. 1225–1226. ISBN 9780323530422
4. ↑ Cannon TD, Cornblatt B, McGorry P (May 2007). "The empirical status of the ultra high-risk (prodromal) research paradigm". Schizophrenia Bulletin. 33 (3): 661–4. doi:10.1093/schbul/sbm031. PMC 2526144. PMID 17470445.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
5. ↑ de Koning MB, Bloemen OJ, van Amelsvoort TA; et al. (June 2009). "Early intervention in patients at ultra high risk of psychosis: benefits and risks" (PDF). Acta Psychiatr Scand. 119 (6): 426–42. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0447.2009.01372.x. PMID 19392813. S2CID 19145295.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
6. ↑ Cite error: The named reference fn_72 was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).
7. ↑ Elmer, Jamie (June 25, 2021). "Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) vs. Schizophrenia: What's the Difference?". PsychCentral. Retrieved February 28, 2024.