Schizophrenia was first described by Kraepelin in 1896 as a syndrome characterised by peculiar ways of thinking, behaviour and perception. The term 'schizophrenia'(splitting of mind) was first used by Bleuler to describe this syndrome.
About 1% of the population will suffer from schizophrenia during their lifetime.
Schizophrenia is characterised by disturbances in the form and content of thought e.g. delusions, in mood e.g. inappropriate affect, in behaviour, feelings, thought processes and in perceptions.
Schizophrenia is a complex, chronic mental health disorder characterized by an array of symptoms, including delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech or behavior, and impaired cognitive ability (1)
- disability often results from both negative symptoms (characterized by loss or deficits) and cognitive symptoms, such as impairments in attention, working memory, or executive function
- also relapse may occur because of positive symptoms, such as suspiciousness, delusions, and hallucinations
- males tend to experience their first episode of schizophrenia in their early 20s, whereas women typically experience their first episode in their late 20s or early 30s
Notes:
- study evidence suggests that in patients with first-episode schizophrenia having their first psychosis relapse despite use of non-clozapine oral antipsychotics, continuation with the same antipsychotic modality or switch to another non-clozapine oral antipsychotic did not show evidence of being beneficial in relapse prevention, suggesting that clozapine should be started instead (2).
Reference:
- Patel KR, Cherian J, Gohil K, Atkinson D. Schizophrenia: overview and treatment options. P T. 2014 Sep;39(9):638-45.
- Taipale H et al. Comparative effectiveness of antipsychotic treatment strategies for relapse prevention in first-episode schizophrenia in Finland: a population-based cohort study. Lancet Psychiatry 2025; 12(2): 122-30.