Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a mental health problem. Symptoms include hearing, seeing, smelling or tasting things that are not real (hallucinations); false ideas (delusions); disordered thoughts and problems with feelings, behaviour and motivation. The cause is not clear. In many people symptoms come back (recur) or persist long-term but some people have just one episode of symptoms that lasts a few weeks. Treatment includes medication, talking treatments and social support.

Schizophrenia is a serious mental health condition that causes disordered ideas, beliefs and experiences. In a sense, people with schizophrenia lose touch with reality and do not know which thoughts and experiences are real and which are not.

Some people misunderstand schizophrenia. For instance, it has nothing to do with a split personality. Also, the vast majority of people with schizophrenia are not violent.