Schizophrenia

Overview
Schizophrenia is a severe mental health disorder characterized by psychosis and a decreased functional capacity. Approximately 1 percent of the population develops schizophrenia during their lifetime. Schizophrenia affects men more frequently than women, with a ratio of 1 to 4. The disorder carries a worse prognosis for men than women, too, and symptoms often appear earlier in men, usually in their late teens or early 20s. Women tend to be diagnosed in their 20s through middle age. There is no known definitive cause of schizophrenia, but it is believed that genetics and the environment play a role in the development of the disorder. There are seven sub-categories of schizophrenia, including paranoid, catatonic, residual, disorganized, undifferentiated, schizophreniform disorder and schizoaffective disorder.

Symptoms
The first signs of schizophrenia often appear as confusing or even shocking changes in behavior. Coping with the symptoms of schizophrenia can be especially difficult for family members or friends who remember how involved or outgoing a person was before he became ill.

The sudden onset of severe psychotic symptoms is referred to as an acute phase of schizophrenia. Psychosis, a common symptom in schizophrenia, is a state of mental impairment marked by hallucinations, delusions and disorganized thought patterns. Hallucinations are disturbances of sensory perception, and auditory hallucinations (such as hearing voices) are the most common type of hallucinations in schizophrenia. Delusions are false yet strongly held personal beliefs that result from an inability to separate real from unreal experiences. Speech and behavior can be so disorganized that it may be very frightening to others. Psychosis occasionally dissipates after treatment with antipscyhotics, but for most patients, psychosis is chronic and simply decreases in intensity with treatment. Less obvious symptoms--such as social isolation or unusual speech, thinking or behavior--may precede, be seen along with, or follow the psychotic symptoms.

There are unique symptoms that characterize the seven types of schizophrenia. Paranoid schizophrenia is marked by paranoid delusions and a high level of suspicion. Paranoid schizophrenics may think that others are controlling their thoughts or plotting to harm them. Despite these delusions, paranoid schizophrenia carries the highest functional capacity of all the sub-types. Catatonic schizophrenia is marked by bizarre motor symptoms including the maintenance of unusual postures and repetitive, meaningless motor movements. Residual schizophrenia is characterized by a lack of psychosis, but includes the more mild symptoms of schizophrenia such as illogical thought patterns. Disorganized schizophrenia carries the worst functional capacity of all the sub-types and is characterized by severely bizarre and disorganized behavior and speech. The majority of institutionalized schizophrenics fit into the disorganized type. Undifferentiated schizophrenia is a catch-all type for patients whose symptoms do not neatly fit into any one of the seven sub-types and whose symptoms overlap one or more categories. Schizophreniform disorder is characterized by the typical symptoms of schizophrenia with a duration of 6 months or less. This is the diagnosis that all patients with schizophrenia are initially given and a watchful waiting approach is given to see if symptoms evolve into another mental health disorder after the 6-month period. Schizoaffective disorder is characterized by symptoms of psychosis and a mood disorder (i.e depression).

Treatment
Available treatments can relieve many symptoms, but most people with schizophrenia continue to suffer some symptoms throughout their lives. It has been estimated that less than one in five schizophrenic individuals recovers completely. Treatment typically involves antipsychotics and psychosocial support. There is hope for people with schizophrenia and their families. Research is gradually leading to safer medications and unraveling the complex causes of the disease.