Schizophrenia is a psychiatric illness characterised by a decline in functioning accompanied by hallucinations, delusions, and disturbed thought processes, with symptoms persisting for at least 6 months.
People with schizophrenia may:
Hear voices other people do not hearBelieve that others are reading their minds or controlling their thoughts.
These experiences are terrifying and can cause fearfulness, withdrawal, or extreme agitation.
People with schizophrenia may also:
Not make sense when they talkSit for hours without moving or talkingSeem perfectly fine until they discuss what they are really thinkingHave difficulty retaining a job or caring for themselves.
Available treatments can relieve many of the disorder's symptoms, but most people who have schizophrenia must cope with residual symptoms to some degree, and the burden on their families and society can be significant. Nevertheless, many people with the illness now lead rewarding and meaningful lives as a result of improved treatments in the last decade.
Research is leading to the development of more effective medications and the use of new research tools is improving understanding of the causes of schizophrenia, which will help find ways to prevent and treat the disorder.
Many people with schizophrenia now lead rewarding and meaningful lives as a result of improved treatments .
This section presents information on the epidemiology, aetiology and diagnosis of schizophrenia and reviews the treatment and prognosis for patients with this debilitating disorder.
