User:Mr. Ibrahem/Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a mental illness characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (often hearing voices), delusions (having beliefs not shared by others), and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social withdrawal, decreased emotional expression, and lack of motivation. Symptoms typically come on gradually, begin in young adulthood, and in many cases never resolve. Many people with schizophrenia have other mental disorders such as an anxiety disorders including panic disorder, obsessive–compulsive disorder, or a substance use disorder.

The causes include genetic and environmental factors. Genetic factors include a variety of common and rare genetic variants. Possible environmental factors include being raised in a city, cannabis use during adolescence, infections, the ages of a person's mother or father, and poor nutrition during pregnancy. There is no objective diagnostic test; diagnosis is based on observed behavior, a history that includes the person's reported experiences, and reports of others familiar with the person. To be diagnosed, symptoms and functional impairment need to be present for six months, (DSM-5), or one month, (ICD-11).

About half of those diagnosed with schizophrenia will have a significant improvement over the long term with no further relapses, and a small proportion of these will recover completely. The other half will have a lifelong impairment, and severe cases may be repeatedly admitted to hospital. Social problems such as long-term unemployment, poverty, homelessness, exploitation, and victimization are common consequences of schizophrenia. Compared to the general population, people with schizophrenia have a higher suicide rate (about 5% overall) and more physical health problems, leading to an average decreased life expectancy of 20 years. In 2015, an estimated 17,000 deaths were caused by schizophrenia.

The mainstay of treatment is an antipsychotic medication, along with counselling, job training, and social rehabilitation. Up to a third of people do not respond to initial antipsychotics, in which case the antipsychotic clozapine may be used. In situations where there is a risk of harm to self or others, a short involuntary hospitalization may be necessary. Long-term hospitalization may be needed for a small number of people with severe schizophrenia. In countries where supportive services are limited or unavailable, long-term hospital stays are more typical. About 0.3% to 0.7% of people are affected by schizophrenia during their lifetime. In 2017, there were an estimated 1.1 million new cases and in 2019 a total of 20 million cases globally. Males are more often affected and on average have an earlier onset.