Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a chronic mental health condition characterized by distortions in thinking, perception, emotions, sense of self, and behavior. It affects approximately 1 in 300 people worldwide.

Common terms include: psychosis (loss of contact with reality), delusions (fixed false beliefs), hallucinations (sensory experiences without external stimuli), and negative symptoms (reduced emotional expression, avolition).

Schizophrenia typically emerges in late adolescence or early adulthood. Symptoms are categorized as positive (hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech), negative (blunted affect, anhedonia, avolition), and cognitive (impaired working memory, executive dysfunction). Treatment involves antipsychotic medication, psychosocial interventions, and community support.

A common misconception is that schizophrenia means "split personality." In reality, the term refers to a splitting of mental functions, not multiple personalities. People with schizophrenia are not inherently violent; they are far more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators.