schizophrenia: subtypes, symptoms, etiology factors and maintenance

Schizophrenia

Introduction

Schizophrenia in most cases is a debilitating illness classified by behavior, affect and perturbations in cognition. All of these tend to have some bizarre aspect. Hallucinations, usually auditory in nature and delusions, usually bizarre, also are typical of this mental illness. The first identification of schizophrenia was known as “dementia praecox” by Emily Kraepelin, whose description of the illness till date remains the guiding force in the modern investigation of schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia has a lifetime prevalence of around 1%. The sex ratio is nearly equal however men to experience earlier onsets as opposed to women. Most patients suffering from schizophrenia fall ill in their late teens or early adulthood. Schizophrenia may or may not have a prodome before its onset i.e. “pre-onset” personality can appear normal.

Symptoms

The onset of symptoms per se may be acute or insidious. Acute onsets tend to span a matter of weeks or months and may be characterized by confusion or at times by depressive symptoms. Patients may recognize that something is wrong, and they may make some desperate attempts to bring some order into the fragmenting experience of life. By contrast, in cases with an insidious onset the patient may not be particularly troubled at all. Over many months or a year or more, evanescent changes may occur: fleeting whispers, vague intimations, or strange occurrences.