I Government Agencies Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a severe mental disease characterized by unpredictable disturbances in thinking. It refers to the characteristic schizophrenic behavior of withdrawing from reality and thinking in illogical, confused patterns. Medical Encyclopedia Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a severe mental disease characterized by unpredictable disturbances in thinking. It refers to the characteristic schizophrenic behavior of withdrawing from reality and thinking in illogical, confused patterns. The term does not mean that a victim has more than one personality, but that there is a split or incongruence between thought and emotional content.
Schizophrenia ranks as one of the most common mental disorders.
It affects about 1 percent of the population. About 75 percent of all cases develop the disease between the ages of 15 and 25. While the incidence is low, the disease tends to be chronic, causing a major disruption of the victim's life. Recent studies have shown that more individuals with schizophrenia make a partial or complete recovery than was previously thought. Schizophrenics often suffer disturbances in mood and behavior.