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What Causes schizophrenia?

Psychologists are not 100% certain what causes schizophrenia, but most believe that there are a number of different factors that contribute towards what is a complex and serious mental health disorder. Some risk factors you can do nothing about, but others, for example stress, you can avoid if you believe you might be at risk of developing schizophrenia.

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What causes schizophrenia?

The causes of schizophrenia fall into two main categories: biological and environmental. Some people are at risk of developing the disorder because of their genes, but they might never show any symptoms of schizophrenia, whereas others have no risky genes, but still develop the disorder later in life. So it is apparent that biology is not enough—social and environmental factors are also significant in the development of schizophrenia.

Genetics are known to play a significant role in the development of schizophrenia. Anyone who has a close relative with serious psychiatric disorders such as bipolar and depression has a much higher risk of developing schizophrenia than the rest of the general population. However, there are more factors at play than a genetic predisposition because statistics have shown that even when one identical twin has schizophrenia, the other twin still only has a 50% risk of developing the disorder.

A complicated birth can increase the risk of schizophrenia in later life and people who are exposed to neonatal and birth complications are more likely to go on to have schizophrenia. Risk factors include maternal pre-eclampsia, exposure to infections whilst in the womb, and oxygen deprivation during the birth.

Abnormal brain development has been linked to the development of schizophrenia and research has indicated that people who have schizophrenia often have slightly different brain structures when compared to those who do not have the disorder. Schizophrenia has also been associated with abnormal levels of dopamine and serotonin in the brain and research has suggested that the illness could in part be caused by a neurotransmitter imbalance.

Some viral infections are thought to be a factor in the development of schizophrenia. The flu virus and polio virus have both been linked to an increased risk of schizophrenia. Exposure to rubella and viral infections of the central nervous system can also increase the schizophrenia risk factor.

Serious head injuries can sometimes cause schizophrenia later in life—although scientists are not sure why this is the case and it could be that the head injury triggers schizophrenia in someone who is already genetically predisposed to developing the disorder anyway.

Other causes of schizophrenia

Substance abuse is known to trigger many mental health problems, including schizophrenia. This is especially true of long term cannabis users, and if a teenager is a habitual user of the drug, they are much more at risk of developing schizophrenia, particularly if there is a history of mental illness in their family.

Being exposed to a dysfunctional childhood and extreme stress can also cause schizophrenia in those already predisposed towards the illness—one research study showed that adopted children with a higher genetic risk of schizophrenia were much more likely to develop the disorder if raised in a dysfunctional family environment.

Related Articles:

  1. Children with Schizophrenia | Childhood onset of Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is most common in young adults, but it can also affect children. Childhood schizophrenia occurs in around 1 in 40,000 children, but irrespective of what age it occurs, the illness is chronic and causes immense problems for children with schizophrenia and their families. Children with schizophrenia—at what age is...
  2. Is Schizophrenia Hereditary?| What are the Hereditary Factors and Risks? Is schizophrenia hereditary? Experts believe that although there are definitely schizophrenia hereditary factors involved in the development of schizophrenia, a biological predisposition is not enough to increase your chances of developing the disorder and environmental factors also play a significant role. Like many other mental health disorders, cases of schizophrenia...
  3. Is Bipolar Hereditary?| What are the Bipolar Hereditary Factors and Percentages? With any mental health disorder, there is always a great deal of debate as to whether the illness is caused by nature or nurture. Or in other words, will you develop bipolar as a result of a dysfunctional childhood, or are you predetermined to develop bipolar because your mother, father,...
  4. Interesting Facts about Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a serious mental health disorder. Sufferers of schizophrenia find it difficult to distinguish between what is real and unreal. They typically experience hallucinations, delusions and disordered thinking, and usually withdraw from the world around them as the illness takes hold. Off all the serious mental health disorders, schizophrenia...
  5. How do you get Schizophrenia? How do you get schizophrenia? Research into the causes of schizophrenia has shown that like many other mental health disorders, schizophrenia arises from a combination of nature and nurture: environmental factors in conjunction with a genetic predisposition all lead to an increased risk for the development of the condition. How...

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