Who can get schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is relatively rare affecting around 1 in 100 people throughout the course of their lifetimes. Most people have their first episode of schizophrenia between the ages of 15 and 30, although onset is usually a little later in women than in men. Schizophrenia tends to occur more in the most deprived areas of Britain’s larger cities. It should also be noted that a larger proportion of Afro-Caribbean men are diagnosed than other groups, although there is debate about whether this is partly due to a lack of understanding of another’s culture by the psychiatrist. It is believed that schizophrenia is caused by certain chemicals in the brain, or by changes in the structures of the brain. Some researchers believe these chemical and structural abnormalities may have been caused by infection earlier on in life, or through genetics. This means that if someone in your family is schizophrenic, you may be more likely than most to get it. Much research suggests that certain chemicals in th
