I.

INTRODUCTION
Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe mental disorder that alters how a person thinks, acts,
expresses emotions, perceives reality, and interacts with others. Though schizophrenia is less
common than other major mental illnesses, it can be the most chronic and debilitating. People
suffering from schizophrenia frequently struggle to function in society, at work, school, and in
relationships. They may feel scared and withdrawn, as if they have lost touch with reality. This
lifelong disease cannot be cured, but it can be managed with appropriate treatment.
(Schizophrenia, 2022)
The condition usually shows its first signs in men in their late teens or early 20s. It mostly
affects women in their early 20s and 30s. The period when symptoms first start and before full
psychosis is called the prodromal period. It can last days, weeks, or even years. It can be hard to
spot because there’s usually no specific trigger. You might only notice subtle behavioral
changes, especially in teens. This includes:
Delusions: These are false, mixed, and sometimes strange beliefs that aren’t based in reality, and
that the person refuses to give up, even when shown the facts. For example, a person with
delusions may believe that people can hear their thoughts, that they are God or the devil, or that
people are putting thoughts into their head or plotting against them.
Hallucinations: These involve sensations that aren't real. Hearing voices is the most common
hallucination in people with schizophrenia. The voices may comment on the person's behavior,
insult them, or give commands. Less common types include seeing things that aren't there,
smelling strange odors, having a funny taste in your mouth, and feeling sensations on your skin
even though nothing is touching your body.
Catatonia: In this condition, the person may stop speaking, and their body may be fixed in a
single position for a very long time.
Talking in sentences that don’t make sense or using nonsense words, making it difficult for the
person to communicate or hold a conversation.
Shifting quickly from one thought to the next without obvious or logical connections between
them
Moving slowly
Being unable to make decisions.
Writing excessively but without meaning
Forgetting or losing things
Repeating movements or gestures, like pacing or walking in circles.
Having problems making sense of everyday sights, sounds, and feelings.
 The exact cause of schizophrenia isn’t known. But like cancer and diabetes,
schizophrenia is a real illness with a biological basis. Researchers have uncovered several things
that appear to make someone more likely to get schizophrenia, including:

Genetics (heredity): Schizophrenia can run in families, which means a greater likelihood to
have schizophrenia may be passed on from parents to their children.
Brain chemistry and circuits: People with schizophrenia may not be able to regulate brain
chemicals called neurotransmitters that control certain pathways, or "circuits," of nerve cells that
affect thinking and behavior.
Brain abnormality: Research has found abnormal brain structure in people with schizophrenia.
But this doesn’t apply to all people with schizophrenia. It can affect people without the disease.
Environment: Things like viral infections, exposure to toxins like marijuana, or highly stressful
situations may trigger schizophrenia in people whose genes make them more likely to get the
disorder. Schizophrenia more often surfaces when the body is having hormonal and physical
changes, like those that happen during the teen and young adult years.

Schizophrenia affects about 24 million people, or one in every 300 people (0.32%)
worldwide. This rate is 1 in 222 people (0.45%) among adults. It is less common than many
other mental disorders. Onset occurs most frequently in late adolescence and the twenties, and
men tend to experience it earlier than women.

People with schizophrenia are two to three times more likely to die young than the
general population. This is frequently due to physical illnesses like cardiovascular, metabolic,
and infectious diseases.

People with schizophrenia frequently face human rights violations both in mental health
facilities and in the community. Stigma against people with this condition is severe and
widespread, resulting in social exclusion and affecting their relationships with others, including
family and friends. This contributes to discrimination, which can impede access to basic health
care, education, housing, and employment. (Schizophrenia, 2022)
Schizophrenia. (2022, January 10).
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/schizophrenia?
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