Schizophrenia usually starts between the teens and the mid-thirties. Some people have been diagnosed in childhood and some after age forty. Most forms of schizophrenia are diagnosed when people are in their twenties. Several million people in the U.S. are affected. It occurs slightly more often in men than in women.
Schizophrenia typically runs in families, but can occur in a family with no history of it.
There are several different types of schizophrenia. In general, the treatment and outlook is similar for most types. People diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia may have a better chance of being able to work and live independently. Unfortunately, they may also be the most likely to become violent. Treatment for schizophrenics includes medicines, training to get along better with others, and education about their illness.