Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness characterized by a variety of symptoms,
including loss of contact with reality, bizarre behavior, disorganized thinking
and speech, decreased emotional expressiveness, and social withdrawal. Usually
only some of these symptoms occur in any one person. The term schizophrenia
comes from Greek words meaning "split mind." However, contrary to
common belief, schizophrenia does not refer to a person with a split personality
or multiple personality.To observers, schizophrenia may seem like madness or
insanity. Perhaps more than any other mental illness, schizophrenia has a
debilitating effect on the lives of the people who suffer from it. A person with
schizophrenia may have difficulty telling the difference between real and unreal
experiences, logical and illogical thoughts, or appropriate and inappropriate
behavior. Schizophrenia seriously impairs a person's ability to work, go to
school, enjoy relationships with others, or take care of oneself. In addition,
people with schizophrenia frequently require hospitalization because they pose a
danger to themselves. About 10 percent of people with schizophrenia commit
suicide, and many others attempt suicide. Once people develop schizophrenia,
they usually suffer from the illness for the rest of their lives. Although there
is no cure, treatment can help many people with schizophrenia lead productive
lives. Schizophrenia also carries an enormous cost to society. People with
schizophrenia occupy about one-third of all beds in psychiatric hospitals in the
United States. In addition, people with schizophrenia account for at least 10
percent of the homeless population in the United States (see Homelessness). The
National Institute of Mental Health has estimated that schizophrenia costs the
United States tens of billions of dollars each year in direct treatment, social
services, and lost productivity. Prevalence Approximately 1 percent of people
develop schizophrenia at some time during their lives. Experts estimate that
about 1.8 million people in the United States have schizophrenia. The prevalence
of schizophrenia is the same regardless of gender, race, and culture. Although
women are just as likely as men to develop schizophrenia, women tend to
experience the illness less severely, with fewer hospitalizations and better
social functioning in the community. Symptoms Schizophrenia usually develops in
late adolescence or early adulthood, between the ages of 15 and 30. Much less
commonly, schizophrenia develops later in life. The illness may begin abruptly,
but it usually develops slowly over months or years. Mental health professionals
diagnose schizophrenia based on an interview with the patient in which they
determine whether the person has experienced specific symptoms of the illness.
Symptoms and functioning in people with schizophrenia tend to vary over time,
sometimes worsening and other times improving. For many patients the symptoms
gradually become less severe as they grow older. About 25 percent of people with
schizophrenia become symptom-free later in their lives. A variety of symptoms
characterize schizophrenia. The most prominent include symptoms of
psychosis-such as delusions and hallucinations-as well as bizarre behavior,
strange movements, and disorganized thinking and speech. Many people with
schizophrenia do not recognize that their mental functioning is disturbed.