Who Gets Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia affects both men and women. It is often first seen in men in late adolescence and early adulthood. It is mostly first seen in women between ages 25 and 35. Research shows the following: • Chemicals in the brain and differences in brain structure may contribute to a person getting schizophrenia • Schizophrenia can run in families. A child with one parent with schizophrenia is about 10 times more likely to get the disease than a child whose parents do not have the disease. However, people without a family history of schizophrenia can also have the disease. There are effective medicines that can treat the symptoms of schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia affects 1 in 100 people and occurs in every race, culture, and socio-economic group. It occurs equally in males and females. In Canada, approximately 300,000 people live with the disease, of whom 120,000 live in Ontario. The disease usually begins when people are in their teens or early twenties, although it can occur later in life. Because it strikes young people in their formative years, it is often referred to as “youth’s greatest disabler”. Males usually develop schizophrenia at an earlier age than females. In most cases, schizophrenia begins gradually – so much so that it is often months or years before the individual or their family recognizes that something is wrong. With some people, however, the onset is very rapid.
Who Gets Schizophrenia? Answer: By studying the frequency of schizophrenia in various groups of people, using a science called epidemiology, scientists have uncovered a number of risk factors for developing schizophrenia. This information has provided clues to guide research into the causes of schizophrenia. Taking all people into account, just less than 1% of the population (0.8% according to the (National Comorbidity Study ) have schizophrenia. That amounts to approximately 2.2 million people in the United States alone. Not everyone has the same risk of developing schizophrenia, however. By far the most significant risk factors for developing schizophrenia have to do with family members. This is the reason that scientists now believe that genetics are the most important factor in developing schizophrenia.
