Schizophrenia is challenging to diagnose and treat

Schizophrenia symptoms often appear suddenly

Schizophrenia is a particularly shocking mental illness because its symptoms may appear seemingly without any prior signs of illness after a person has had no symptoms for the first couple of decades of their life. Among teens, symptoms may look like typical adolescent behaviors—withdrawal, being irritable, and having trouble sleeping.

Schizophrenia literally means 'split mind'—a reference to patients' break with reality

Contrary to the name, patients do not have multiple personalities. Rather, the split mind refers to the sufferers' inability to distinguish reality from hallucinations when they are aware and awake. Cognitive difficulties, including challenges focusing and communicating are also common among those with schizophrenia, as well as auditory and visual hallucinations.

Less than 1% of people globally have schizophrenia, a syndrome strongly linked to genetics

Schizophrenia's causes remain largely unknown, though scientists suggest it's caused by multiple factors. Its symptoms include disruption of thought processes rather than the exhibiting of multiple personalities. This brief video provides an overview of the condition.

People with schizophrenia are excluded from psychedelic research

Individuals with this mental health condition are routinely eliminated from any psychedelic research due to concerns about triggering or worsening psychosis. Yet there is little high-quality research in this area, raising questions about if further research into this question is warranted as interest grows in using psychedelics for therapeutic purposes.

People with schizophrenia have triple the risk of developing diabetes

It remains contentious if something inherent about the disease or antipsychotics' side effects (weight gain) are mostly to blame. Some newly diagnosed schizophrenia patients already have insulin resistance, raising questions about if patients' brains are getting enough energy from glucose, and if dietary changes—like a high-fat, low-carbohydrate, moderate-protein diet—may help alleviate symptoms.

Schizophrenia symptoms, like psychosis, often first emerge among young adults

A combination of genetics, significant brain changes to the frontal cortex, and hormonal changes during young adulthood—late teens to early 30s—result in schizophrenic symptoms often showing up during this period. The stress of life changes at that age may also be a contributing factor.

80% of schizophrenia cases may be inherited

Some research suggests that anywhere between 60% and 80% of people with schizophrenia had genes that predisposed them to the syndrome. That high rate has fueled interest in further exploration of what environmental and lifestyle factors cause some people with that genetic risk to develop the disease when others with the same genetic risks do not.

People with schizophrenia typically die 9 years earlier than the general population

The syndrome, which affects roughly 1 in 233 adults, is often associated with other serious health issues, including cardiovascular, metabolic, and infectious diseases, which may contribute to early deaths. The side effects of long-term antipsychotic medications also may influence the mortality timing—weight gain, for example, is a common side effect of the drugs and can contribute to cardiovascular issues.

Schizophrenia is being studied with pea-sized 'mini-brains'

Brain organoid research is enabling researchers to study distinct electrical firing patterns associated with schizophrenia. These "mini-brains" that are constructed in the lab from patients' cells could lead to better diagnosis approaches and drug development.

Traumatic childhood experiences heighten the risk of developing schizophrenia

Clinically termed as "adverse childhood experiences," events such as physical or mental abuse or the death of loved ones have repeatedly been linked to an increase in rates of developing schizophrenia later in life. The reasons behind this link remain under investigation.

A new schizophrenia healthcare model is giving patients more of a role in shaping their own treatments, with good results.

Some data links schizophrenia to older paternal age and birth complications

Yet both associations are not yet considered firm enough to definitively be causative. Schizophrenia is a multi-causal syndrome and a mixture of factors, including genetics, are widely believed to be behind its development.

The term schizophrenia was coined by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler in 1908

He launched the word during a lecture at the German Psychiatric Association in Berlin. In his talk he focused on the splitting of psychic functioning as a defining feature of the disease and noted it wasn't associated with dementia or factors like early puberty onset.

Schizophrenia increases heat death risks in several complex ways

Evidence shows that people with schizophrenia have an inherently harder time regulating internal body temperatures. They may also struggle to find safe shelter during extreme heat, and their prescribed antipsychotic medications often have dehydrating effects, collectively elevating the risk of heat-related illness and death, as illustrated by this article that focuses on the final days of Stephan Goodwin's life in 2022. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

Misfired motor signals may explain why many people with schizophrenia hear voices

Up to 80% of schizophrenia patients may have auditory hallucinations. Recent research concluded that this symptom may be from misfired motor signals that feed into each other, essentially failing to suppress certain sensory neural activities and that resulting overexcitment fuels hallucinations. The finding suggests that, one day, magnetic pulses might be used to stimulate specific nerves to better regulate the errant signals and reduce or stop hallucinations. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

Deinstitutionalization in the 20th century unintentionally led to the incarceration of schizophrenia patients

Activism to shut down problematic asylums in the mid-20th century led to the community release of many patients with severe mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, but without adequate support, this deinstitutionalization in the 1960s and 1970s led to a significant increase in patients with schizophrenia ending up in prisons and homeless shelters.

Why might someone want to stay in psychosis?

Author Abigail Gosselin writes that her verbal auditory hallucination, often assumed by others to be harmful or threatening in nature, offered a salve to loneliness, even as it told her to kill herself. This perceived benefit and others Gosselin shares offer insight into why people in psychosis may struggle to adhere to treatment and medication plans.

Having five of nine key symptoms constitutes a major depression

Before professional standards were adopted, practitioners used varying criteria to diagnose mental health disorders. By the 1970s, more objective lists were organized, culminating in this list of polythetic criteria—a list of symptoms where no single criterion is required, but a minimum number must be present.

Wearing a 'schizophrenia simulator,' designed to build empathy for patients, CNN's Anderson Cooper finds he struggles to function

Donning headphones that play a track mimicking the auditory hallucinations common in schizophrenia, Cooper finds he is very distracted, disconcerted, and frustrated. The auditory track aims to help listeners build empathy with patient populations by understanding the challenges they face in daily life.

Government watchdog says nursing homes are inappropriately diagnosing schizophrenia

The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General said in a March 2026 report that nursing homes are incorrectly diagnosing their residents with schizophrenia to mask the facilities' misuse of antipsychotic medications. The drugs, the report states, are being widely used to make staff members' jobs easier and to keep nursing home quality measures high—since antipsychotic use for schizophrenia wouldn't be counted against the facility. (PDF)

What's the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist?

While both psychiatrists and psychologists are mental health professionals, the big difference is that psychiatrists are medical physicians (MD or DO) while psychologists are not. Learn what makes these two profession different with this brief explainer.

Key tips for helping the depressed—including listening without judgment

Major depressive disorder is a clinical diagnosis and is not a lifestyle choice. Those who struggle with depression can express persistent feelings that are difficult to process and make sense of for friends and family. This guide walks through some counterintuitive perspectives, including resisting the urge to force a depressed person to do the things that would make them feel better.

How psilocybin could transform mental health treatment

How magical are magic mushrooms, at least where depression is concerned? Some 24 volunteers participated in a study to evaluate the efficacy of using psilocybin in combination with psychotherapy to treat individuals suffering from depression. While some controversies remain about its use—psilocybin is known to cause psychosis sometimes—some scientists think the benefits outweigh the risks.

How MS is diagnosed with brain and spinal cord MRIs and eye tests

There's no definitive test for MS, but to make a diagnosis doctors typically use MRIs of the brain and spinal cord to hunt for telltale lesions. Also, optic nerve tests to see how quickly information travels down the optic nerve—since degraded myelin sheaths will slow electrical signals between the eye and brain.

Circadian rhythm disruption can influence various mental health disorders

This 2020 research overview surveys the relationship between disrupted circadian clocks and disorders including schizophrenia, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. It incorporates findings and therapeutic approaches drawing from human night shift studies and jet lag studies alongside animal research.

Is it possible to cure diabetes?

Treatments for diabetes depend on the type of condition a patient has. Gestational diabetes typically goes away after birth, and those with Type 2 diabetes may be able to reverse their condition through diet, exercise, and blood sugar management. Type 1 diabetes has no cure, but can be successfully managed.

US FDA recently approved the first new schizophrenia drug in decades

Though other antipsychotics block dopamine receptors, a new drug, Cobenfy, influences dopamine levels via a different pathway—it stimulates a pair of specialized receptors in the brain that control the release of a substance called acetylcholine. This alternative approach may help patients avoid serious side effects like weight gain. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

Gene expression patterns are similar between ASD, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder

Postmortem brain tissue analysis suggests there are genetic and epigenetic similarities between individuals with autism, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. All three conditions appeared to have activation of genes in astrocytes and suppression of specific genes that function at the junction between neurons, called synapses. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

Anxiety is one of the world's most common mental health disorders, causing persistent excessive fear and worry that interferes with daily activities.

Depression changes the brain, causing distinct structural alterations visible on brain scans, but effective treatment can eventually make a depressed brain resemble a healthy one.

Roughly 1 in 125 people have autism spectrum disorder globally

The disorder has been increasingly diagnosed as its definition has grown broader and as clinicians have become more adept at identifying it—with some estimates suggesting the figures are much higher. These figures include people across the spectrum, some of whom live mostly independent lives, while others require life-long care and assistance.

Mental health applications of psychedelics

Scientists are investigating psilocybin, ketamine, LSD, and MDMA (also known as ecstasy) as potential treatments for mental health issues. These drugs enable an altered state of consciousness, which can have beneficial or harmful impacts depending on the nature of the experience. Research suggests these drugs can be effective in treating substance use disorders, mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety, and psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia.

Listen to how gaps in schizophrenia care helped to lead to a murder

Michael Laudor attended Yale, succumbed to schizophrenia, and killed his pregnant fiancée. The podcast, which includes a long but moving interview with Laudor's friend Jonathan Rosen, uses the tragedy to frame how America's approach to severe mental illness has fallen short.

Depression is much more than sadness—and isn't fleeting

The American Psychiatric Association's DSM-5—used for defining diagnoses—says a person must be experiencing five or more symptoms of depression most of the day over at least two weeks. Research indicates older people are less likely than younger people to meet that depression benchmark, though this article says they still often have at least several of the depression symptoms.

CBT helps rewire the brain's false beliefs by challenging negative thoughts

Cognitive behavioral therapy identifies how specific situations can trigger distorted core beliefs—often formed early in life—that negatively shape thoughts and behavior. It frequently uses structured questioning that promotes self-reflection to uncover distorted thinking and guide people toward more balanced perspectives.

Roughly 10% of the world has SSAD—SAD’s milder, nonclinical cousin

Subsyndromal affective disorder is diagnosed when someone exhibits two of the nine major criteria for depression (but not more than five) as a result of seasonal changes. While it is milder than primary SAD, SSAD is still significant and impacts millions.

Scientists are reevaluating the causes of Alzheimer's beyond the amyloid hypothesis after numerous experimental drugs designed to target that theory have failed.

Could all mental health disorders have a unifying 'p-factor'?

Some researchers have argued in the past couple decades that all mental health disorders may have a unifying dimension—a theoretical "p-factor" that is common across mental illness, but life experiences and behaviors influence if and how illness manifests. Proponents point to similarities across different disorders, while detractors argue that such connections are largely exaggerated.

Some dementia cases may be linked to treatable microorganism infections in the brain.

Learn how Hollywood tries to get mental health portrayals right

"Entertainment is always the first priority," the director of medical research for "Grey's Anatomy" and "Private Practice" explained in this Newsweek article. But, medical consultants and dedicated groups like the University of Southern California's Hollywood, Health, and Society program, can help inform shows' characters, actions, and sensitivities on subjects like mental illness.

Autism spectrum disorder, defined in 2013, was previously categorized as numerous disorders.

Postpartum psychosis is an emergency requiring immediate psychiatric intervention, with symptoms including hallucinations, paranoia, and delusions that may put a baby at risk.

There are multiple types of multiple sclerosis—they differ by attack patterns

When your immune system targets the nervous system, this can cause new or worsening symptoms and the development of scarring or damage within the central nervous system. Relapsing-remitting MS is the most common type of the disease—it includes progressive bouts of attacks that occur months or years apart.

American medical organizations rescind recognition of diagnosis cited in police custody deaths

American medical organizations have rescinded their recognition of a syndrome whose theory stemmed from discredited research. This article explores the history and implications of "excited delirium syndrome," a medical condition that can reportedly...

Psychedelic side effects, including worsening mental health for some patients, give pause

This article explores whether the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drug use is really as good as current research suggests. Scientists are exploring its applications for conditions ranging from the existential crisis that can accompany terminal diagnoses to chronic mental health conditions, including anxiety and PTSD.

JJ Schildkraut theorized depression is linked to brain chemical imbalances—in 1965

Schildkraut was one of the first to put forward this idea, which stemmed from lab animal research. A decade later, researchers published the first landmark paper on fluoxetine—better known by trade name Prozac—which increases serotonin levels in the brain.

Sclerosis is the technical term for the lesions or plaques that form without myelin

In the absence of myelin, the body forms scar tissue called sclerosis. That scar tissue hampers nerve's abilities to transmit nerve impulses, essentially acting as a roadblock to speedy communication.

Scientists identify hundreds of genes responsible for OCD

Researchers analyzed the DNA of more than 53,000 people with OCD and identified 30 areas in the genome linked to the disease, containing 249 genes of interest. Of those, several were linked to other brain disorders, paving the way for genetic treatments of various mental illnesses.

How do brain scans work?

There's only one thing in our solar system sophisticated enough to study itself: the human brain. But this self-investigation is challenging because a living brain is shielded by skull, swaddled in tissue, and made up of billions of tiny cells. How do we study living brains without harming their owners? Two experts explain how the various techniques like EEGs, fMRIs, and PETs work in this TedEd talk.

Mental health is much more than the absence of mental illness, according to its official definition from the World Health Organization.