Schizophrenia is a mental disorder[13] characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis.[5] Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking.[7] Other symptoms include social withdrawal, decreased emotional expression, and apathy.[5][14] Symptoms typically come on gradually, begin in young adulthood, and in many cases never resolve.[3][7] There is no objective diagnostic test; the diagnosis is used to describe observed behavior that may stem from numerous different causes. Besides observed behavior, doctors will also take a history that includes the person’s reported experiences, and reports of others familiar with the person, when making a diagnosis.[7] To diagnose someone with schizophrenia, doctors are supposed to confirm that symptoms and functional impairment are present for six months (DSM-5) or one month (ICD-11).[7][11] Many people with schizophrenia have other mental disorders, especially substance use disorders, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and obsessive–compulsive disorder.
Interested in learning whether current clinical programs, research developments, or emerging therapeutic approaches may be relevant to your situation?
Educational and research information only. Individual medical decisions should be made in consultation with qualified healthcare professionals.
