What is schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric illness that affects about 1% of the population worldwide, and is characterized by changes in brain function that affect thinking, perception, behavior, emotions, affections and social interaction, with a significant impact on the lives of patients.
What are the most common symptoms of schizophrenia?
The most frequent symptoms of schizophrenia can be classified into positive symptoms and negative symptoms.
Positive symptoms of schizophrenia include:
- changes in thinking with the appearance of delusions (false and bizarre ideas)
- changes in perception with the appearance of hallucinations (hearing sounds or voices that are not there)
- changes in the person's habitual behavior and speech
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia include difficulties in:
- Interpersonal Relationships
- motivation
- Ability to experience pleasure
- logical reasoning and attention, causing progressive social isolation and cognitive dysfunction with significant functional impact
How is the disease diagnosed?
The diagnosis of schizophrenia is a clinical diagnosis made by characterizing the symptoms and signs of the disease and its evolution over time. Auxiliary diagnostic tests are useful only to exclude other medical or neurological diseases in which symptoms similar to those of schizophrenia may appear.
What causes schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia does not have a single cause. Several factors that contribute to the onset of the disease are now known, namely:
- Genetic factors
- neurodevelopmental factors
- environmental factors such as exposure to stress or exposure to drugs, such as the consumption of cannabinoids
Who can be affected by the disease?
Schizophrenia can affect anyone, male or female, with the onset of the disease most common in late adolescence and early adulthood. In men, the onset of the disease tends to be earlier, with more negative symptoms and a poorer prognosis.
What is the treatment for schizophrenia?
The treatment of schizophrenia consists of improving changes in brain function using antipsychotic drugs that are effective in improving the symptoms of the disease.
The following should also be considered:
- Psychotherapies
- Cognitive rehabilitation
- social support interventions for the patient's functional reintegration
Being a chronic psychiatric illness, adherence to therapy and psychotherapeutic and supportive strategies are essential for the prevention of relapse and functional deterioration of the person.
Is there a cure for schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia has no cure, but it has very effective pharmacological, rehabilitation and supportive treatments that allow remission and control of symptoms in the vast majority of patients, with significant recovery of well-being and quality of life as long as treatment adherence is guaranteed.
Source: Portuguese Society of Psychiatry and Mental Health (SPPSM)