The most common but perhaps least understood of all mental illnesses is schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is actually a group of serious mental disorders characterized by disturbed thinking, emotional barriers, and a partial divorce from reality. These disorders affect one in every 100 Americans, about two million in all.
Schizophrenia can develop suddenly or gradually and can affect people of any age.
It is rare in children, where it is believed to be related to autism. Adolescents can become schizophrenic, but diagnosis is difficult because adolescence is naturally a time of rapid and major changes in personality and behavior. People under 25 account for most episodes of schizophrenia and it rarely strikes for the first time in people over 45. Men are thought to be most susceptible during their 20s and 30s and women are more vulnerable during pregnancy, childbirth, and meno pause. Symptoms Schizophrenia is a complex disorder affecting a person s entire personality.