The prognosis of schizophrenia is varied at the individual level. In general it has great human and economics costs. It results in a decreased life expectancy of 12–15 years primarily due to its association with obesity, little exercise, and smoking, while an increased rate of suicide plays a lesser role.
Factors associated with a poor prognosis include:
Negative symptoms. Family history of schizophrenia. Low IQ, low socioeconomic status, or social isolation. Significant psychiatric history.
The prognosis is guarded. Full recovery is unusual. Early onset of illness, family history of schizophrenia, structural brain abnormalities, and prominent cognitive symptoms are associated with a poor prognosis.
Catatonic schizophrenia is now considered a rare subtype because it is believed to be largely the result of untreated schizophrenia. It now occurs less frequently among people with schizophrenia as early intervention and treatment has advanced.
Some people do recover “fully” from schizophrenia. Ten years after diagnosis: 50% of people with schizophrenia recover or improve to the point they can work and live on their own. 25% are better but need help from a strong support network to get by. 15% are not better.
The last stage is the residual phase of schizophrenia. In this phase, you're starting to recover, but still have some symptoms.
For schizophrenia specifically, point prevalence is around 0.42%, one year prevalence is around 0.30%, lifetime prevalence is around 0.50%, and lifetime morbid risk prevalence is around 0.72%.
Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder in which people interpret reality abnormally. Schizophrenia may result in some combination of hallucinations, delusions, and extremely disordered thinking and behavior that impairs daily functioning, and can be disabling. People with schizophrenia require lifelong treatment.
The three stages of schizophrenia are prodromal, active, and residual. Diagnosing the stages of schizophrenia is important for an individual to receive the proper treatment to manage their condition.
Paranoid schizophrenia
It may develop later in life than other forms. Symptoms include hallucinations and/or delusions, but your speech and emotions may not be affected.
A bad prognosis means there is little chance for recovery. Someone with a good or excellent prognosis is probably going to get better.
What is a poor prognosis? A poor prognosis refers to an estimation that there is a low chance of recovery from a disease. For example, if a person's cancer is an aggressive type or has already metastasized to other areas, a doctor may give them a poor prognosis.
High disease activity, the early presence of erosions, and autoantibody positivity are the most frequently used poor prognostic factors but other features, such as functional disability, extraarticular disease, or multibiomarkers, are also assessed.
Though schizophrenia isn't as common as other major mental illnesses, it can be the most chronic and disabling. People with schizophrenia often have problems doing well in society, at work, at school, and in relationships. They might feel frightened and withdrawn, and could appear to have lost touch with reality.
Schizophrenia is one of the most serious and frightening of all mental illnesses. No other disorder arouses as much anxiety in the general public, the media, and doctors.
The most important prognostic factor in all human cancers is the stage at presentation, which is the anatomic extent of the disease.
Older adults with schizophrenia have significant cognitive deficits in executive functioning, speed of processing, attention/vigilance, working memory, verbal learning, visual learning, reasoning, and problem-solving.
Overall, people who live with schizophrenia have lower IQ scores than those who don't experience the condition. There are people who live with schizophrenia who have higher IQ scores, and they appear to have somewhat different symptoms than those with lower scores.
The exact causes of schizophrenia are unknown. Research suggests a combination of physical, genetic, psychological and environmental factors can make a person more likely to develop the condition. Some people may be prone to schizophrenia, and a stressful or emotional life event might trigger a psychotic episode.
Myth 1: People With Schizophrenia Are Dangerous
According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), people with schizophrenia are no more likely to present dangerous behavior than the general population. While their behavior may be unpredictable, this doesn't mean they're naturally prone to violence.
A landmark literature review found that people who sustained a TBI were 60% more likely to develop schizophrenia, and risk was doubled among people who were already predisposed to schizophrenia based on a family history of the disorder.
SUMMARY. US and international to date research suggests that individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are responsible for approximately 10% of all homicides in the United States. For mass killings, the percentage is approximately 33% (see “Serious Mental Illness and Mass Homicide”).
Prevalence By Country
The country with the highest prevalence of schizophrenia is Indonesia, with a total of 829,735 people with the disorder.