The main known risk factors in development of schizophrenia are genetic causes, pregnancy and delivery complications, slow neuromotor development, and deviant cognitive and academic performance.
A family history of psychiatric conditions is considered to be the strongest risk factor for schizophrenia among first-degree relatives (8).
Family History and Genetics
Just as with other medical and mental health conditions, genetic predisposition plays a role in whether someone will develop symptoms of schizophrenia. The numbers to support this are strong.
Among these, experts have found genetics to be one of the strongest predictors of whether a person will develop schizophrenia.
People with high IQ scores are less likely to have schizophrenia than the general population. If intelligence is best measured by IQ tests, a 2006 study suggests that those with schizophrenia have overall lower scores than the rest of the population, even before they're diagnosed.
Deletions or duplications of genetic material in any of several chromosomes, which can affect multiple genes, are also thought to increase schizophrenia risk. In particular, a small deletion (microdeletion) in a region of chromosome 22 called 22q11 may be involved in a small percentage of cases of schizophrenia.
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.
If you, or someone you know, are described as having “borderline schizophrenia”, it could point toward mild symptoms, unclear symptoms, or a combination of symptoms. The best thing you can do is to seek clarification from a licensed professional.
Although schizophrenia can occur at any age, the average age of onset tends to be in the late teens to the early 20s for men, and the late 20s to early 30s for women. It is uncommon for schizophrenia to be diagnosed in a person younger than 12 or older than 40. It is possible to live well with schizophrenia.
There is no one genetic cause of schizophrenia; no one has the “schizophrenia gene.” Rather, there are what the Mayo Clinic calls “a complex group of genetic and other biological vulnerabilities.” A person isn't born with schizophrenia, but there are certain neurochemical conditions that make them candidates for its ...
People with schizophrenia are also different from healthy people in terms of experiencing life satisfaction. At the same time, they do not differ in such strengths of character as: originality, judgment, fairness, forgiveness/mercy, modesty/humility, prudence, appreciation for beauty, gratitude, spirituality.
The most common early warning signs include:
Depression, social withdrawal. Hostility or suspiciousness, extreme reaction to criticism. Deterioration of personal hygiene. Flat, expressionless gaze.
You could have: Hallucinations: Seeing or hearing things that aren't there. Delusions: Mistaken but firmly held beliefs that are easy to prove wrong, like thinking you have superpowers, are a famous person, or people are out to get you. Disorganized speech: Using words and sentences that don't make sense to others.
People with schizophrenia suffer a wide range of social cognitive deficits, including abnormalities in eye gaze perception. For instance, patients have shown an increased bias to misjudge averted gaze as being directed toward them.
Prodromal stage
This is the first stage of schizophrenia. It occurs before noticeable psychotic symptoms appear. During this stage, a person undergoes behavioral and cognitive changes that can, in time, progress to psychosis.
Signs of early or first-episode psychosis
Strong and inappropriate emotions or no emotions at all. Withdrawing from family or friends. A sudden decline in self-care. Trouble thinking clearly or concentrating.
You're more likely to get schizophrenia if someone in your family has it. If it's a parent, brother, or sister, your chances go up by 10%. If both your parents have it, you have a 40% chance of getting it.
Affecting about 1 percent of the population, schizophrenia is known to be as much as 90 percent heritable, yet discovering how specific genes work to confer risk has proven elusive, until now.
Trauma may cause changes in the body and affect neurotransmitters in the brain, increasing the risk of psychotic symptoms or schizophrenia. Childhood trauma may trigger schizophrenia in those susceptible to it, and people may experience symptoms between their late teens and early 30s.