Schizophrenia is a devastating illness that affects one percent of the population. Individuals with schizophrenia suffer from difficulty determining the reality of thoughts and perceptions. Some have difficulty expressing their ideas coherently while others simply fail to engage at all. Many of the symptoms are frightening and their mere presence is often disturbing to those suffering. Schizophrenia is typically a lifelong illness with acute exacerbations followed by periods of residual symptoms.
New medications bring hope for reduced symptoms and improved quality of life.
The risk for suicide is high among individuals with schizophrenia. It is estimated that ten to fifteen percent of individuals with schizophrenia complete suicide and twenty to forty percent make suicide attempts. Suicide attempts are frequently of moderate to severe lethality and may leave the individual disfigured or permanently physically disabled. Thus, attention to this area is extremely important. It was funding from the American Foundation for the Prevention of Suicide from 1993 to 1995 that enabled me to conduct the pilot study necessary to obtain federal funding from NIMH to continue this research.