Schizophrenia

What is schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a type of psychotic disorder (severe mental condition that causes the patient to lose touch with reality). People may develop schizophrenia alone, or it may occur in combination with other psychiatric or medical conditions.

This is only one of a number of illnesses that include psychotic symptoms. Losing touch with reality or having abnormal thoughts does not mean that someone has schizophrenia, and schizophrenia is not the same thing as a split personality, as some people believe because of the origin of the word "schizophrenia."

Schizophrenia can be diagnosed at any age, but 75 percent of people with the disorder first develop symptoms between the ages of 16 and 25 years, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Schizophrenia rarely occurs before puberty, although cases in children as young as 5 years old have been reported. The illness is difficult to recognize in children and adolescents because hallucinations, the hallmark of schizophrenia, can be caused by a number of other unrelated conditions, and because its slow onset can lead to an assumption that it is a behavior problem.

About 1 percent of the U.S. population develops schizophrenia, according to NAMI. The illness affects men and women equally, although it often appears at an earlier age in males than females. Onset in males typically occurs between the late teens and early 20s. In females, onset usually occurs between the 20s or early 30s.

Schizophrenia may be related to development of a child's brain during pregnancy. One theory is that changes before birth lead to faulty connections within the brain. These poor connections are dormant until puberty, when the brain undergoes dramatic changes, which can lead to the psychotic symptoms associated with the condition. There is, however, no direct scientific evidence that leads scientists and doctors to believe that there is a single cause for this illness.

The structure of the brain appears different in some patients as compared to the general population. Some of these differences include the following:

• The fluid-filled cavities at the center of the brain (ventricles) are larger.
• The volume of gray matter (which consists of the neurons, brain cells) is lower.
• Some areas of the brain have abnormal metabolic activity.

It is important to note that not all patients with schizophrenia have these differences. Nor do all patients with these differences have schizophrenia.

Myths and misperceptions about schizophrenia

Patients are often stigmatized by lack of public understanding about schizophrenia. The disease is often confused with split personalities (dissociative identity disorder, DID), but they are different disorders. DID, which is rare, is characterized by the presence of two or more alternate personalities in one body, each having their own memories, behavior and relationships. Patients with schizophrenia may have strange and unpredictable behavior, but they do not have more than one personality.

Nor should schizophrenia be confused with two similarly named conditions: schizoid personality disorder (marked by withdrawn, solitary and emotionally detached behavior) or schizotypal personality disorder (marked by widespread social deficits and eccentric behaviors).

Another misperception about schizophrenia is that patients are violent. However, most people with schizophrenia are not prone to violence and often prefer to be left alone. Studies have demonstrated that if patients do not have a criminal record or substance abuse problem prior to developing schizophrenia, they are unlikely to commit crimes after becoming ill. Patients with paranoid schizophrenia are more likely to commit an act of violence, which is usually directed at a someone close to them or someone about whom they have delusions.

People with schizophrenia do abuse alcohol and drugs more frequently than the general population. However, most scientists do not believe that substance abuse causes schizophrenia. Also, some people who abuse drugs exhibit symptoms similar to those of schizophrenia, and patients are sometimes mistakenly thought to be under the influence of drugs. Drugs can also make the symptoms of schizophrenia worse, both directly because of the effect of the drug on the brain and secondarily because people who are using illegal drugs frequently do not take their medication as they should.

Nicotine is the most common form of substance abuse among patients with schizophrenia. Research has shown that people with schizophrenia are addicted to nicotine at three times the rate of the general population (75 to 90 percent versus 25 to 30 percent), according to National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

Types and differences of schizophrenia

There are five recognized types of schizophrenia:

There are also two conditions related to schizophrenia:

How is it diagnosed?

The diagnosis of schizophrenia usually begins with a physical examination conducted by a physician, who will also review the patient's medical history, including any family history of mental illness.

A physician may try to rule out other mental or physical illnesses that may be causing symptoms. Blood or urine tests may be conducted to determine whether medications, substance abuse or illness is contributing to symptoms. Some infections, cancers, nervous system disorders, thyroid disorders, immune system disorders, seizures and head trauma can produce psychotic symptoms. At times, imaging studies such as MRI may be ordered to rule out other conditions that can affect the brain.

A patient will be referred to a psychiatrist who can conduct a psychiatric evaluation, which should include a detailed description of signs and symptoms, a mental status examination and overview of social, family and psychiatric history. Patients with schizophrenia usually begin experiencing symptoms in late adolescence or early adulthood.

In general, a patient must be experiencing psychotic or "loss of reality" symptoms associated with schizophrenia for at least six months to be diagnosed with the disorder. The symptoms must be accompanied by a decreased ability to function in work, school, home and/or social settings.

Schizophrenia can sometimes be difficult to diagnose because many of its symptoms are also symptoms of other mental disorders, such as depression or bipolar disorder. Also, a person with schizophrenia may not be able to recognize the symptoms because they are not thinking straight. In some cases, patients are referred to medical professionals by family members or friends. With early diagnosis and treatment, however, the disorder can be managed more effectively, and some measure of recovery can occur.

How is schizophrenia treated?

The cause of schizophrenia is largely unknown, and there is no known way to prevent or cure the disorder. The focus of treatment is often to control symptoms with minimal side effects from medication, and achieve the best recovery possible.

Patients are usually treated at home. However, they can be treated in a hospital if they experience acute symptoms, such as severe delusions or hallucinations, serious suicidal thoughts, an inability to care for themselves or if they are violent or threatening others as a result of their illness.

The most common treatment for schizophrenia is antipsychotic medication. Patients with schizophrenia sometimes stop taking medications because they feel better, forget to take them or dislike the side effects, or take them sporadically because they think regular use is not important. Following the physician's directions for medications and communicating any problems to the physician is the most important thing to make sure there is adequate treatment.

In addition to medication, patients with schizophrenia may need psychosocial rehabilitation (therapy that involves addressing both social and psychological behavior). Research has shown that patients treated with rehabilitation and medication are best able to manage their illness.

Psychosocial treatment may include therapy to address substance abuse (common in people with schizophrenia), social and vocational training to help people work and live in the community, occupational therapy to increase independence with activities of daily living such as grooming and meal preparation and job skills, and illness management techniques to help patients understand their condition, identify signs of relapse and develop a plan in case relapse occurs.

It is very important that the therapy the person gets is appropriate for that individual's needs. Some people are more disabled than others and need more basic therapy and vocational training. Others are well controlled on their medication and not only do not benefit from basic training and therapy, but can become very frustrated if they are "required" to participate and stop all of their treatments. Treatment should always be individualized to the needs of the person.

Cognitive behavior therapy may be helpful for patients whose symptoms continue even with medication. Cognitive therapists teach patients how to monitor the reality of their thoughts and perceptions, how to ignore auditory hallucinations and how to cope with apathy that can be immobilizing.

Self-help groups can provide comfort and support among members who share their experiences. Networking in groups can also generate social action when members unite and advocate for more research or treatment programs.

Studies show that after 10 years of treatment, 25 percent of patients recover completely, 25 percent improve a great deal and 25 percent experience some improvement. Fifteen percent of patients do not experience improvement and 10 percent die, usually by suicide or accident, according to National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI).

Schizophrenic people have a higher risk of suicide than the population at large. Threats of suicide or any activity that you think might be a suicide attempt or planning for suicide should be taken very seriously and evaluated by a professional.

People with schizophrenia often resist treatment because they believe that their hallucinations and delusions are real and that they do not need psychiatric help. Although laws differ from state to state, civil rights laws to protect patients with schizophrenia from being involuntarily committed into a mental health facility have become strict. If patients pose a danger to themselves or others and refuse to seek treatment, family members may have to call the police to transport the patient to the hospital. Once at the hospital, the patient will be evaluated by a mental health professional.

Patients with schizophrenia often need assistance from family members, friends and others to ensure that they continue to receive treatment and take their medications. Schizophrenia is a chronic disease. If patients stop taking medications, psychotic symptoms can reappear and may impair their ability to care for basic needs, such as food, clothing and shelter. Family and friends can also help patients set realistic goals for coping with their illness. It is important to show support and encouragement because patients who feel pressured or criticized often regress, making symptoms worse.

In very rare cases, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may be recommended by a psychiatrist to treat certain symptoms of schizophrenia. ECT is particularly useful for people with schizophrenia who have bad catatonic symptoms or hallucinations that do not respond to any medications and are life threatening. Most frequently, ECT is used for other psychiatric disorders.

Medications

Zyprexa (Olanzapine), Geodon (Ziprasidone), Seroquel (Quetiapine), Tegretol (Carbamazepine), Ativan (Lorazepam), Valium (Diazepam), Trileptal (Oxcarbazepine)

What might complicate it?

Injuries, accidents, suicide, or homicide can occur. Alcohol and drug abuse is common. Major mood disorders may appear.

Predicted outcome

Approximately one-third of the individuals with this diagnosis will recover within six months. Two- thirds will not recover and will become chronically ill. At that time, the diagnosis will change to schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.

Alternatives

It may be schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, brief psychotic disorder, or mood disorder with psychotic features. It could also be substance abuse, one of the most common causes of abrupt onset of psychotic symptoms. Medical causes include metabolic and endocrine disorders, and brain tumor.

Appropriate specialists

Psychiatrist, psychologist, and other mental health professionals.

Last updated 3 July 2015