What are the risk factors for schizophrenia?
• Answer: The main risk factor is heredity, with the incidence rising from 1% in the general population to nearly 10% in those whose parents or siblings have the disorder. The risk is also elevated but to a lesser degree if grandparents, aunts, uncles, or cousins have schizophrenia. The twin of a person with schizophrenia has a 50% risk of developing it as well. Women are at greater risk than men, and both sexes are most prone during their teens and early 20s. Schizophrenia rarely develops after age 45, or in young children, though some as young as 7 have been occasionally diagnosed.
