Schizophrenia Types, Symptoms, Medications, Treatment Essay

Schizophrenia is a neurological disorder that affects the cognitive functions of an individual. The cause of this illness is unknown, but there are several theories of how an individual may acquire schizophrenia. Because there are many symptoms of the disease and because the symptoms can vary quite dramatically among several individuals and even within the same individual over time, the diagnosis of schizophrenia can be quite difficult. In the United States and Europe, schizophrenia occurs in about 3 to 6 of every 10,000 individuals. Schizophrenia occurs equally in males and females; however, the age of onset of the disease is different between the sexes. The primary age of onset in males occurs roughly between the ages of 15 and 25,†¦show more content†¦Since the social causation hypothesis is more narrow and only accounts for the assumption that schizophrenia results from stress (one hypothesis for the development of schizophrenia), the downward drift hypothesis seems to better explain the disproportionate numbers of schizophrenics in the lower socioeconomic classes. Moreover, a number of estimations have claimed that between one-third and two-thirds of homeless individuals have schizophrenia (1). However, the theory that social factors may produce the stressors that lead to schizophrenia does correlate with several key points. Epidemiological studies have shown that a higher proportion of schizophrenics are found in large cities, particularly in those cities with populations of over one million people, whereas smaller cities have virtually no incidence of schizophrenia. Also, the development of schizophrenia in children of a schizophrenic parent or parents appears to be twice as likely in those residing in large cities as compared to those in smaller communities. Moreover, schizophrenia occurs in a higher percentage of immigrants that move from a less industrialized area or nation to a more industrialized area or nation (1). However, other factors may be present that contribute to the disproportionate localization of schizophrenia in relation to geography which will be discussed later. 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