10 schizophrenia facts
In this article we will describe 10 schizophrenia facts. Let’s start with the basics.
1. What is schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a chronic severe brain disorder that distorts the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, relates to others and perceives reality.
2. How common is schizophrenia?
Common. It affects 1% of the population, and is one of the most disabling diseases affecting humankind.
3. What are the common symptoms of schizophrenia?
Doctors divide the symptoms of schizophrenia into three categories: positive, negative and cognitive:
Positive symptoms
- Hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there, including paranoid ones)
- Delusions (false beliefs, including paranoid ones)
- Disorganised thoughts or speech
- Catatonia (which is when a person stays in a single position for a long period of time).
Cognitive symptoms
- Problems learning and remembering
- Difficulty understanding speech or other forms of communication
- Difficulty making sense of new information
- Difficulty solving problems
- Trouble focusing or paying attention.
Negative symptoms
This is defined as the absence of normal behaviour.
- Lack of emotion and or changes in facial expression
- Reduced speech, energy, movement and talking
- Poor hygiene
- Lack of interest in spending time, and withdrawal from people, or having fun
- Lack of motivation.
4. When does schizophrenia start?
Schizophrenia typically appears on the teens or early 20s – with onset peaking at 18-25 years. The reasons for its appearance in this age range have not been identified.
5. Why cannot people with schizophrenia distinguish self and non-self?
We do not know. But it is the essence of schizophrenia.
In healthy people, the brain functions in such a way that incoming stimuli are sorted and interpreted, followed by a logical response – e.g. saying “thank you” after a gift is given, or realising the potential outcome of arriving late to work etc.
Whereas in schizophrenia, there is disruption of normal self-perception – i.e. distinguishing between ‘self’ (you) and ‘non-self (other people). When you are healthy, you realise self and non-self are different. Patients with schizophrenia suffer from a decline of ‘me’ as a core of their personality; leading to losing the sense that they are the origin of their thoughts and actions.
6. What causes schizophrenia?
The exact causes of schizophrenia are unknown. Research suggests a combination of physical, genetic, psychological and environmental factors can make a person more likely to develop the condition. Some people may be prone to schizophrenia, and a stressful or emotional life event might trigger a psychotic episode.
7. How do doctors diagnose schizophrenia?
Although there are numerous abnormalities in the brain structure and function of individuals with schizophrenia, there is no single thing that can be tested or measured to produce a definitive diagnosis. Without such measures, the disease is diagnosed by its symptoms.
Prior to a medical diagnosis, it is critically important that the doctor rules out other problems that may mimic schizophrenia, such as:
- Psychotic symptoms caused by the use of drugs or other medical illnesses
- Major depressive episode
- Manic episode with psychotic features
- Delusional disorder (no hallucinations, disorganised speech or thought or ‘flattened’ emotions)
- Autistic disorder
- Personality disorders (especially schizotypal, schizoid, or paranoid personality disorders).
Schizoaffective disorder is a diagnosis used to indicate that the person has an illness with a mix of symptoms of both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
It is important to diagnose and treat schizophrenia as early as possible; to help people avoid or reduce frequent relapses and re-hospitalisations. There is good evidence that early treatment can effect long term outcome.
8. What is the treatment for schizophrenia?
While there is no cure for schizophrenia, it is a highly treatable disorder.
People who experience acute symptoms of schizophrenia may require intensive treatment, sometimes including hospitalisation, to treat:
- Severe delusions or hallucinations
- Serious suicidal inclinations
- Inability to care for oneself
- Severe problems with drugs or alcohol.
It is critical that people with schizophrenia stay in treatment even after recovering from an acute episode. About 80% of those who stop taking their medications after an acute episode will have a relapse within one year. Whereas only 30% of those who continue their medications will experience a relapse in the same time period.
Because the causes of schizophrenia are unknown, treatments focus on eliminating the symptoms of the disease. Antipsychotic drugs typically are used in the treatment of schizophrenia because they help relieve the positive symptoms. No treatments exist for negative symptoms of the disease.
Antipsychotic medication
Antipsychotic medications are usually taken daily in tablet or liquid form. Some antipsychotics are injections that are given once or twice a month. Some people have side effects when they start taking medications, but most side effects go away after a few days. Doctors and patients can work together to find the best medication or medication combination, and the right dose.
Psychosocial treatment
These treatments are helpful after patients and their doctor find a medication that works. Learning and using coping skills to address the everyday challenges of schizophrenia, helps people to pursue their life goals (such as attending school or work). Individuals who participate in regular psychosocial treatment are less likely to have relapses or be hospitalised.
Coordinated specialty care (CSC)
This treatment model integrates medication, psychosocial therapies, case management, family involvement and supported education and employment services, all aimed at reducing symptoms and improving quality of life.
9. How does schizophrenia affect mortality?
Individuals with schizophrenia die at a younger age than do healthy people. Males and females have a 5-6x greater than expected early mortality rate than the general population. Suicide is the single largest contributor to this excess mortality rate.
Suicide
About 10% of people with schizophrenia commit suicide. They are also are more likely to have a drug or alcohol problem. The extreme depression and psychoses that can result due to lack of treatment are the main causes. This suicide rate can be compared to the general population, which is around 0.01%.
Other contributors to excess mortality include:
Accidents
Although individuals with schizophrenia do not drive as much as other people, studies have shown that they have double the rate of motor vehicle accidents per mile driven. A significant but unknown number of people with schizophrenia also are killed as pedestrians by motor vehicles.
Other diseases
There is some evidence that individuals with schizophrenia have more infections, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and female breast cancer, all of which might increase their mortality rate.
Individuals with schizophrenia who become sick are less able to explain their symptoms to medical personnel, and medical personnel are more likely to disregard their complaints and assume that they are simply part of the illness.
There also is evidence that some people with schizophrenia have an elevated pain threshold; so they may not complain of symptoms until the disease has progressed too far to be treatable.
Homelessness
Homelessness increases the mortality rate of people with schizophrenia by making them even more susceptible to accidents and diseases.
10. Schizophrenia Big Myths
Big Myth 1 = People with schizophrenia are violent
This is not true. Most people prefer to be left alone and are not violent.
Big Myth 2 = People with schizophrenia have 2 (or ‘spilt’) personalities
They do not.
Summary
We have described 10 schizophrenia facts. We hope you understand it better now. It is important health professionals help to dispel the big myths.
Last Reviewed on 9 April 2024