In fact, individuals with schizophrenia are more likely to withdraw from society and inflict harm upon themselves. Because the disease usually first strikes people in their late teens or early twenties, and because of its prevalence, schizophrenia is referred to as Youth s Greatest Disabler. Schizophrenia is not caused by bad parenting or dysfunctional family life. Schizophrenia is not a mental health issue. Mental health issues involve people who are disturbed by life.
Schizophrenia is a biological disease of the brain.
An individual is more than a disease and is a person first, so is entitled to efficient multidisciplinary and integrated community support systems. This statistic has been substantiated by the World Health Organization. Prevalence refers to the number of cases of a disease occurring at a point in time or over a period of time. Approximately 300,000 people in Canada have the disease, with some evidence of an equal incidence among males and females. Onset of the disease seems to differ by gender, with men developing the disease earlier in life than women.