Schizophrenia

[Page 2933]Schizophrenia is a severe and chronic mental health disorder characterized by a broad spectrum of symptoms, including unusual perceptions, odd thoughts, disturbed emotions, abnormal behaviors, and impaired cognition. Approximately 1% of the world’s population experience schizophrenia during their lifetime. The mean age at first psychotic break is in the early to mid-20s for males and in the late 20s for females; schizophrenia rarely begins in childhood or after the age of 40 years. That said, a large majority of individuals experience a prodromal period, wherein they experience less severe symptoms of schizophrenia prior to their first psychotic break. Schizophrenia can have devastating emotional and financial effects on those afflicted, their family members, and society. Despite its relatively rare prevalence, schizophrenia has an estimated annual ...