Who Gets Schizophrenia?

Researchers also believe that genes are one of the causes of schizophrenia, however they are convinced that genes alone can’t be the main cause, they just make a person more likely to develop the mental disease. (Nimh.nih.gov,

Genetics play a role in the development of schizophrenia. When looking closer at the brain chemistry between a person with schizophrenia and a person with out schizophrenia there are

Majority of cases begin in adolescence and adulthood. The peak age range would be eighteen to thirty year olds. As far as we know it is very rare for a child to have schizophrenia. The age for schizophrenia to appear differs by gender. Women tend to be diagnosed in between twenty and twenty-four. There is a second rise in numbers for women. The second rise begins after the age of forty. Men tend to get it in their twenties. After the age of thirty-five the number of men who develop schizophrenia tends to drop, thus males more likely to have early onset compared to women. “Gender differences may be related to women having more mood disorder and anxiety diagnosis leading to milder forms of schizophrenia going undiagnosed,” (Butcher, 2014). Gender can play a big role when diagnosing schizophrenia.

First off I would like to tell you what exactly schizophrenia is. Schizophrenia is a brain disease, with concrete and specific symptoms due to physical and biochemical changes in the brain. This illness strikes young people in their prime age usually between 16 and 25. Schizophrenia is almost always treatable with medication. Contrary to what most think schizophrenia is not a "split personality", or caused by childhood trauma, bad parenting, or poverty, and not the result of any action or personal failure by the individual.(3)

Not every person with schizophrenia will have all symptoms, and the symptoms of schizophrenia may change over time.” (Schizophrenia: Sings, Types & Causes, Authors: Melinda Smith, M.A., and Jeanne Segal, Ph. D., Last Update February 2014, http://www.helpguide.org/mental/schizophrenia_symptom.htm) It is believed that no one single gene causes schizophrenia it is said that more than one gene is the cause of increased risk of schizophrenia there is a greater risk of a child developing it. There is more to this story than genetics; some type of early childhood trauma may play a role in schizophrenia. (The Causes of Schizophrenia http://www.nami.org/content/navigationmenu/mental_illnesses) The onset of schizophrenia occurs between the age of 15 and 45 in males, it is more common in males than females. There is talk from researchers about children with schizophrenia also having other mental disorders which include ADHD, ADD and bipolar disorder. Although there is not a tremendous amount of research they also believe that most children have had someone in their family who has been in a psychiatric hospital at some point and a family history of schizophrenia and some type of trauma. There is also a high number of suicide attempts in children with schizophrenia, there is also research to show that there is an increase of odds of schizophrenia in African Americans and Hispanic youth, however it is also very easy to misdiagnose these

Instead, schizophrenia genetics leave some people susceptible to the illness, which is triggered by environmental factors.

Schizophrenia is a disease of the brain and is known as one of the most disabling

To be diagnosed with schizophrenia these symptoms have to be apparent for at least 6 months (NAMI, 2017). It is not an easy diagnosis regardless what age an individual falls into. The majority of people who suffer do not believe they have the mental disorder, this can make the diagnosis very difficult to accept. A health care provider must examine someone under the suspicion of having schizophrenia for 6 months to ensure the correct diagnosis. This is because a simple lab test or physical test can not be done to push out a positive or negative result. Brain tumors, and possible other mental illnesses must be ruled out before the health care provider makes the final diagnosis (NAMI, 2017). Once diagnosed it is easier to get treatment right away to get psychotic breaks under control, an understanding as to why they are happening and on the road for treatment.

Most research that has been conducted has shown that this is an illness that is usually inherited. Someone that has a relative that has schizophrenia that they are closely related to has a greater chance to inherit it than someone who does not have any relatives with the illness. Idententical twins have also been studied and found that “an identical twin of a person with schizophrenia has the highest risk 40 to 50 percent of developing illness. A child whose parent has schizophrenia has about a 10 percent chance” (Mentalhealth.com, Leonard Holmes). This all connects to the biological aspect of having this disorder but other issues that have been connected to people with schizophrenia are prenatal complications. A study by Thomas F. McNeil and Elizabeth Cantor-Graae, was done to analyze the

Schizophrenia is a life-long disorder that affects about one percent of the population (Mueser & McGurk, 2004). The cause of this mental illness is still unclear. Studies have suggested that Schizophrenia does not arise from one factor but from a combination of genetic, environmental, and social factors (Liddle, 1987). People diagnosed with Schizophrenia struggle to deal with a multitude of symptoms that make it difficult to function (Mueser & McGurk, 2004). Antipsychotic medications are a popular treatment of the symptoms of Schizophrenia (Mueser & McGurk, 2004). Research is constantly being done to develop these medications to enhance the quality of life of those diagnosed with Schizophrenia.

2. A strong family history of mental disorders is considered as a highly probable cause of schizophrenia, while those who are much less genetically vulnerable are believed to catch the disorder through environment stressors during their lives.

The DSM- V defines Schizophrenia Spectrum as a severe brain/mental illness, and when it’s present it’s characterized by incoherent or illogical thoughts, behaviors, speech, delusion/ hallucination, such as hearing voices. The symptoms are noticeable typically late in adolescence or early in adulthood. (American Psychiatric Association,2017). Encyclopedia of psychology (8th Volume Set). The hallmark of schizophrenia is called “Psychosis,” and it’s clinical presentation differs from one patient to another. (James N. Butcher, Jill M Hooley, Susan Mineka) Abnormal psychology (6th edition, pg.444). People have schizophrenia worldwide. Schizophrenia as the prevalence rate of approximately 1.1% of the populations that are age 18 or over (NIMH).

Thanks! For children to be diagnosed with schizophrenia is less than one-sixtieth as common as the adult-onset type. For adolescences that experience early warning signs of psychosis is called prodrome and during this time they would start to see things or hear things that are not there. For children with schizophrenia, they usually show delays in language and other functions long before their psychotic symptoms appear. About 30% of children have transient symptoms of a pervasive developmental disorder, such as rocking, posturing, and arm flapping. They can also present poor motor development, such as usually crawling and may be more anxious and disruptive. So is to extremely important to notices any weird signs and symptoms for

In some people's cases, Schizophrenia appears suddenly and without warning. But for most it comes slowly, with subtle warning signs and a gradual decline in functioning long before the first severe episode. “In the early phases of Schizophrenia people often seem eccentric, unmotivated, emotionless, and reclusive (Helpguide.org).” They may isolate themselves and not want to participate in daily activities such as playing with their children, going outside, or getting off the couch. They abandon their hobbies and they do not do well in their jobs. “The most common early warning signs of Schizophrenia include: social withdrawal, hostility or suspiciousness, deterioration of personal hygiene, having a flat and expressionless gaze, the inability to cry or express joy, inappropriate laughter or crying, depression, oversleeping or insomnia, odd or irrational statements, forgetfulness or the inability to concentrate, extreme reaction to criticism, and or strange use of words or way of speaking (Helpguide.org).” There are five types of symptoms of Schizophrenia. Positive is a symptom that involves having hallucinations or delusions. Negative is when one shows no emotion or flat behavior. Avolation is when a person shows little interest in whatever they are doing. Cognitive behavior is when you have disorganized speech or memory loss. Catatonic behavior is considered poor functioning such as your voluntary muscles

Conclusions / Results: Conclusions suggest that the nature vs nurture dichotomy may not be as relevant as looking at the interaction between these two forces. It was discovered that while one’s genetic heritage creates a predisposition towards schizophrenia, other factors such as the home environment, the parental environment, dietary factors and others may determine whether the disease is manifested.