Schizophrenia

Women's Mental Health Home > Mental Health Conditions > Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is the most chronic (long-lasting) and disabling of mental health disorders. People with schizophrenia do not have multiple personalities — it is a disorder that causes symptoms of psychosis, such as:

hallucinations (hearing voices or seeing things that don't exist)
delusions (bizarre thoughts of being persecuted, cheated, poisoned, or harassed or thoughts that are not based on truth or fact)
disordered thinking
social withdrawal

Although equal numbers of men and women are affected with this disorder, women with schizophrenia may have more depressive symptoms, paranoia and auditory hallucinations (hearing voices or things that don't exist) than do men.

Some people with schizophrenia have only one psychotic episode. Others have many episodes during a lifetime, but lead relatively normal lives during the interim periods. Treatments such as medications, when used regularly and as prescribed, can help reduce and control many symptoms. But, people with chronic schizophrenia, a continuous or recurring pattern of illness, continue to suffer symptoms throughout their lives.

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Additional Resources

Publications

Schizophrenia — This publication provides an overview of schizophrenia. It includes information on the signs, symptoms, treatment options, and where to go for help.
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/index.shtml
Employees With Mental Health Impairments (Copyright © Job Accommodation Network) — This report outlines basic information about common limitations, useful questions to consider, and accommodation possibilities for people who have psychiatric disabilities.
http://janweb.icdi.wvu.edu/media/Psychiatric.html
Patients & Families (Copyright © NARSAD) — This Web site provides links to brochures for patients recently diagnosed with schizophrenia and their families.
http://www.narsad.org/dc/patients_families/
Schizoaffective Disorder (Copyright © MHA) — This publication presents general information on the signs and symptoms of schizoaffective disorder and its treatment.
http://mentalhealthamerica.net/index.cfm?objectid=C7DF97FD-1372-4D20-C8F0FBF1C871E040...
Schizophrenia (Copyright © American Academy of Family Physicians) — This Web site provides information on schizophrenia, focusing on how it is treated and what the future holds for schizophrenia drug treatments.
http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/mentalhealth/treatment/266.html...
Schizophrenia: What You Need to Know (Copyright © Mental Health America) — This fact sheet provides information on the different types of schizophrenia and their causes, symptoms, and treatments.
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/information/get-info/schizophrenia/schizophrenia-what-you-need-to-kno...

Organizations

= Indicates Federal Resources

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