About Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a serious chronic condition that affects the brain. It impairs a person's behavior, thinking, and judgment, and also affects how a person relates to others.
The cause of schizophrenia is unknown. Schizophrenia may be caused by an imbalance of chemicals within the brain that may result from a combination of genetic and environmental factors, including stress. There are several theories about other causes of schizophrenia, and why it affects some people but not others.
Approximately 2.4 million American adults.
- 1% of the world’s population suffers from schizophrenia.
- It occurs at similar rates in all ethnic groups around the world.
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Men and women are at equal risk of developing the disease.
- Women usually develop symptoms during their mid-20s and early 30s.
- Men tend to show symptoms between their late teens and early 20s.
Although there is no cure for schizophrenia, there are treatments to help manage the symptoms.
However, a combination of medication and psychotherapy has helped many people living with schizophrenia move toward their treatment goals.