Understanding Schizophrenia: National Schizophrenia Awareness Day 2023

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25 Jul

On July 25, National Schizophrenia Awareness Day focuses a light on the everyday obstacles that millions of people living with a schizophrenia diagnosis experience, as well as how we can combat stigma and discrimination.

What is schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that affects how you think, feel, and act. The symptoms may have an impact on how you deal with day-to-day living. If you have some of the following symptoms, you may be diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Hallucinations
Delusions
Disorganised thinking
Lack of motivation
Slow movement
Change in sleep habits
Poor grooming or hygiene
Changes in body language and emotions

Everyone's experience with schizophrenia is unique. Not everyone suffering from schizophrenia will exhibit all of these symptoms. Schizophrenia affects approximately one in every 100 persons, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Schizophrenia can emerge in some persons during their adolescence and progress slowly.

The early stage of the illness is referred to as the "prodromal phase." Your sleep, emotions, motivation, communication, and ability to think clearly may all alter throughout this phase. (Rethink Mental Illness, 2023).

“The exact cause of schizophrenia is unknown. But most experts believe the condition is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

It's thought that some people are more vulnerable to developing schizophrenia, and certain situations can trigger the condition such as a stressful life event or drug misuse.”

(NHS, 2023)

What do we know about the condition today?

What causes it?

There is no single cause of schizophrenia that has been found by research. It is hypothesised that schizophrenia is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental causes. Psychosocial variables may also play a role in the onset and progression of schizophrenia. Heavy cannabis use is linked to an increased risk of the illness. (World Health Organization, 2022).

Treatment

There are various therapy options available. Medical practitioners should collaborate with you to determine the best treatment for you.

According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), you should be offered a combination of medication and talking therapy.

People suffering from schizophrenia may react differently to treatment.

Many treatments assist to lessen symptoms, making daily life simpler. To be healthy, you may need to continue with treatment.

On average, there are 33 persons with schizophrenia for every 5 people.

1 will recover within 5 years of experiencing their first evident symptoms.
3 will improve, but there will be periods when they will regress.
1 will experience distressing symptoms for an extended period of time. (Rethink Mental Illness, 2023)

Prevalence in the UK and worldwide

Schizophrenia affects roughly 24 million people globally, or one in every 300 people (0.32%). Adults had a rate of one in every 222 persons (0.45%). It is not as widespread as many other mental illnesses. Onset occurs most frequently in late adolescence and the twenties, and it occurs earlier in males than in women.

Schizophrenia is a severe mental condition. The NHS treats around 220,000 people in the UK for schizophrenia at any given time. (Living With Schizophrenia, 2012).

In the United Kingdom, the estimated prevalence across all ages and Psychosis and schizophrenia in children and young people: final scope 2 populations is 0.7%. Schizophrenia typically begins in late adolescence or early adulthood, however it can begin in early childhood, though seldom before the age of ten. The lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia and schizophrenia-related illnesses in the United Kingdom is roughly 14.5 per 1000 people, though estimates vary widely. (NICE, n.d.).

Schizophrenia is typically accompanied with considerable distress and impairment in important areas of life such as personal, family, social, educational, occupational, and other.

People with schizophrenia are two to three times more likely than the general population to die young. Physical ailments, such as cardiovascular, metabolic, and viral diseases, are frequently to blame.

Human rights breaches are common for people with schizophrenia, both inside and outside of mental health institutions. People with this disorder face significant and widespread stigma, which leads to social marginalisation and negatively impacts their interactions with others, including family and friends. This contributes to prejudice, which can limit access to general health care, education, housing, and work opportunities.

Extreme stress and panic, a breakdown of social supports, isolation, and disruptions in health-care services and drug supplies can all occur during humanitarian and public health catastrophes. These changes, such as worsening of current symptoms, can have an influence on the life of people with schizophrenia. People with schizophrenia are more vulnerable than others during emergencies to a variety of human rights violations, including neglect, abandonment, homelessness, abuse, and marginalisation. (World Health Organization, 2022).

Facts about schizophrenia

Misconceptions about schizophrenia

There is a lot of misinformation concerning schizophrenia in the media. News stories and TV broadcasts are frequently sensationalised and inaccurate.

The reality is:

It does not imply that someone has a "dual personality." This is an inaccurate description of schizophrenia. The symptoms of schizophrenia are more related to a person's experiences than to their personality.

It does not imply that the person is dangerous or violent. The majority of those suffering from schizophrenia do not conduct violent crimes. According to some research, those with this diagnosis may be at a little higher risk than those who do not. However, it is unclear whether schizophrenia is the reason. Evidence suggests that issues such as drug and alcohol abuse are considerably more likely to contribute to violence.

“People with schizophrenia are more likely to be victims of crime – or to harm themselves – than to harm someone else.”

(www.mind.org.uk, n.d.)

Useful links and further info

The Royal College of Psychiatrists have listed some fantastic support resources for those who need support.

Paranoid thoughts - This website is all about unfounded or excessive fears about others.

Rethink Mental Illness - Advice line: 0300 5000 927 (Monday to Friday, 10 am - 2 pm). National voluntary organisation that helps people with any severe mental illness, their families and carers.

Mind - Publishes a wide range of literature on all aspects of mental health. Helpline: 0300 123 3392; email: info@mind.org.uk

Saneline - A national mental health helpline offering emotional support and practical information for people with mental illness, families, carers and professionals. Helpline: 0300 304 7000; email: info@sane.org.uk

Shine: supporting people with mental ill health (Ireland): Information Helpline: 1890 621 631

(Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2019)

In addition check out https://www.rethink.org/get-involved/awareness-days-and-events/national-schizophrenia-awareness-day/ for lots of information on schizophrenia.

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