Causes & Treatments for Schizophrenia

Overview

Schizophrenia is a type of psychological disorder that can severely impair a patient's life. According to the National Institutes of Health, "schizophrenia is a mental disorder that makes it difficult to tell the difference between real and unreal experiences, to think logically, to have normal emotional responses and to behave normally in social situations." Schizophrenia begins before age 45 and affects about 1 percent of the world population, according to the National Institutes of Health. However, the exact cause of schizophrenia is unknown.

Causes

According to the National Institutes of Health, experts are unsure of the cause of schizophrenia, though many theories exist. Some neuroscientists believe that schizophrenia is caused when the brain is unable to process information correctly, which can account for the hallucination symptoms. Genetics also plays a role in schizophrenia: people with a family history of schizophrenia have a higher risk of developing the disorder compared to patients without a family history. In addition, an infection while the fetus is developing in the mother's womb or an infection at birth increases the risk of developing schizophrenia, according to the National Institutes of Health. Rates between men and women are equal, though women develop schizophrenia later in life than men.

Types

Five different types of schizophrenia exist, according to the National Institutes of Health. Types of schizophrenia are catatonic, disorganized, paranoid, residual and undifferentiated schizophrenia. Each of these types of schizophrenia has different symptoms. For example, patients with catatonic schizophrenia have impaired motor skills as symptoms.

Symptoms

Psychotic symptoms are the most common symptoms in schizophrenia, according to the National Institutes of Health. Symptoms include a flat affect, catatonic behavior, delusions, hallucinations and disordered thinking.

Medication

According to the National Institutes of Health, medication is often used to treat the symptoms of schizophrenia. Antipsychotic or neuroleptic medications are used to change the balance of the chemicals in the brain, which can control symptoms. However, these two medications have many side effects, like sleepiness, weight gain, feeling restless, problems with movement and muscle contractions. However, new medications like atypical antipsychotics, according to the National Institutes of Health, have fewer side effects.

Therapy

Besides medication, therapy and education can greatly help with symptoms, according to the National Institutes of Health. Behavioral techniques, like social skills training and therapy, can help patients improve their functional abilities both at work and in social situations. Psychoeducation combines support and education in a family treatment setting. In addition, psychoeducation contains outreach and community support services if the patient does not have support at home.