Most often, schizophrenia occurs in adolescence and continues through life with exacerbations and remissions. It affects about 1 in a 100 people, a number that is constant across many societies and is more common in lower socioeconomic groups. During an active phase of the illness, bizarre thought patterns such as delusions or hallucinations occur. Between schizophrenic episodes some people can care for themselves while others lose their ability to work, participate in social interactions, or maintain personal hygiene. Cause The cause of schizophrenia is unknown, although several factors are thought to contribute to its development.
Schizophrenia affects both rich and poor but is more prevalent in lower socioeconomic groups.
Some argue that this is a result of poverty's increased stress, while others believe that the illness itself results in loss of education and social opportunity. Schizophrenia tends to run in families, with five to ten times the likelihood of developing schizophrenia in family members of someone with schizophrenia. An identical twin has about a 50 percent chance of developing schizophrenia if the other twin has it. Environment and other factors may help explain its multiple incidence in some families. Brain structure, brain metabolism, and brain chemistry are abnormal in people with schizophrenia.