Schizophrenia
What is schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is one of the most complex of all mental health disorders. It involves a severe, chronic, and disabling disturbance of the brain. And, what was once classified as a psychological disease is now classified as a brain disease.
Who is affected by schizophrenia?
Although schizophrenia affects men and women equally, symptoms in men generally begin earlier than in women. In most cases, schizophrenia first appears in men during their late teens or early 20s. In women, schizophrenia often first appears during their 20s or early 30s.
Statistics indicate that schizophrenia affects 2.4 million Americans. A child born into a family with one or more schizophrenic family member has a greater chance of developing schizophrenia than a child born into a family with no history of schizophrenia.
After a person has been diagnosed with schizophrenia in a family, the chance for a sibling to also be diagnosed with schizophrenia is 7 to 8 percent. If a parent has schizophrenia, the chance for a child to have the disorder is 10 to 15 percent. Risks increase with multiple affected family members.
Statistics related to schizophrenia
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), approximately 2.4 million Americans are affected by schizophrenia.
One in 10 persons who commit suicide have depression, schizophrenia or other mental illnesses.
In most cases, schizophrenia first appears in men during their late teens or early 20s. In women, schizophrenia often first appears during their 20s or early 30s.