Schizophrenia - the facts

What is it?

Schizophrenia is the most common severe mental illness. It is characterised by changes in thoughts, perception and behaviour.

How many people have it?

1 in 100 people will suffer from schizophrenia at some point in their lives.

Who gets it?

Schizophrenia exists in all cultures in all countries. It usually affects people between 15- 45 years. The peak age of onset in men is from 21 - 26 years and in women 25 - 32 years.

What are the costs of schizophrenia?

In the UK alone the annual cost of schizophrenia is over £2.6 billion.

Do many people with schizophrenia commit suicide?

10% of people with schizophrenia commit suicide, this is ten times higher than the general population.

What causes it?

Genetic risk factors are important in schizophrenia. The general population has 1%chance of developing schizophrenia. The risk increases to 10% among first degree relatives, 14% among non identical twins and 47% in identical twins. Social and environmental factors also increase the risks of developing schizophrenia.

Do people recover?

20% of people make a full recovery after a single episode of schizophrenia.
60% recover partly, but do not return to their premorbid level of functioning and suffer from relapses.
20% remain symptomatic, needing long term, high levels of social and medical input.

What treatments are available?

Antipsychotic drugs - there are two main types, typical and atypical.
Psychosocial interventions are also used to minimise distress and reduce frequency of relapse.

Are people with schizophrenia dangerous?

People with schizophrenia are no more violent than the rest of the population.