Causes & Symptoms
Causes
The precise cause of schizophrenia is not known but it is thought to involve a number of risk factors. Some of these risk factors are 'in built' and others are to do with the environment.
There seems to be some inherited component to schizophrenia - the most important risk factor for developing the condition is having a relative with the disease. However, environmental factors such as complications at birth, being brought up in a city, and experiencing adverse life events (for example divorce or death of a family member) also play a part.
Whatever the cause, a number of studies have shown that people with schizophrenia have abnormalities in the structure and connections of the brain.
Symptoms
Symptoms of schizophrenia can start at any age, but they usually occur between the ages of 15 and 30. Schizophrenia is different for each person but symptoms may include: strange beliefs or thoughts that are not based on reality; hearing or seeing things that aren't there; thoughts jumping between unrelated topics; inappropriate behaviour; depression or anxiety; difficulty in concentrating or sleeping.
Schizophrenia can take a number of different forms. Some people only have one attack from which they recover completely while others may have recurring attacks. Some people may not get completely back to normal in between attacks and some may develop continuous symptoms.
