Schizophrenia is a diagnosis given to some people who have severely disrupted beliefs and experiences.
During an episode of schizophrenia, a person's understanding and interpretation of the outside world is disrupted - they may:
lose touch with reality
see or hear things that are not there
hold irrational or unfounded beliefs
appear to act strangely because they are responding to these delusions and hallucinations.
An episode of schizophrenia can last for several weeks and can be very frightening. About one in 100 people will have one episode of schizophrenia, and two thirds of these will go on to have further episodes. Schizophrenia usually starts in the late teens or early 20s, but can also affect older people for the first time.The causes are unknown but episodes of schizophrenia appear to be associated with changes in some brain chemicals. Stressful experiences and some recreational drugs can also trigger an episode in vulnerable people.
At least 26 million people are living with schizophrenia worldwide according to the World Health Organization, and many more are indirectly affected by it.
A major health inequality is that people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia die, on average, 20 years younger than the general population – this is unacceptable. Poor physical health can arise as a side effect of anti-psychotic medication - for example through weight gain and increased risk of developing diabetes. Poor physical health can also result because of a failure to monitor risk factors. We want GPs to carry out regular health checks for all people with severe mental health problems. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) provides guidelines for the treatment and management of schizophrenia and psychosis – they emphasise self-management, peer support, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), as well as monitoring physical health and the use of medication and other treatments. All too often NICE guidelines are not adhered to and we must ensure that people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia have full access to a range of treatment and support. People with a diagnosis of schizophrenia should get the best possible care and support to manage their condition and help them to recover.
Misconceptions about schizophrenia
There is more media misinformation about schizophrenia than about any other type of mental health problem. A diagnosis of schizophrenia does not mean 'split personality', or indicate that someone will be calm one minute and then be 'out of control' the next.
Sensational stories in the media tend to present people with schizophrenia as dangerous, even though most people diagnosed with schizophrenia don't commit violent crimes. Another misconception is that people who hear voices are dangerous, but actually voices are more likely to suggest that you harm yourself than someone else and people have a choice in whether they do what the voices say.