Environmental Risk factors
- It is not exactly clear as to what causes schizophrenia, but some certain factors appear to increase its risk:
- Abuse psychoactive/psychotropic drugs-
- These have been shown to cause brain damage, increasing the risk of schizophrenia, for example:
- Cocaine
- LSD
- Methamphetamine
- These have been shown to cause brain damage, increasing the risk of schizophrenia, for example:
- Stress-
- May lead to psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations or delusions
- Infective agents (Rubella, herpes simplex, cytomegalovirus)-
- Maternal infection of these is thought to increase risk of the child developing the disorder
- Trauma at birth-
- Research has shown childhood trauma increases one's risk of developing schizophrenia threefold
- Older age of the father
- Abuse psychoactive/psychotropic drugs-
Wood, J. (2015) Childhood Trauma Linked to Schizophrenia. Retrieved April 13, 2017 from https://psychcentral.com/news/2012/04/20/childhood-trauma-linked-to-schizophrenia/37610.html
Corcoran, C. (Jan. 2002) Could Stress Cause Psychosis in Individuals Vulnerable to Schizophrenia. Retrieved April 13, 2017 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2774708/
Boksa, P. (May. 2008) Maternal Infection During Pregnancy and Schizophrenia. Retrieved April 13, 2017 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2441883/
Genetic risk factors
- In most cases, genes involved in schizophrenia each have a small effect but combine to increase the risk of developing the disorder
- Not well understood
- Deletions and duplications are thought to increase risk
- Microregion 22q11 of chromosome 22 is thought to be involved in a small percentage of schizophrenia:
- This region contains several genes possibly affecting schizophrenia risk
- Loss of one or more of these genes can affect the brain in ways that increase its risk; however, the relationships between the deletions and the disorder development are not well understood
- Other genes thought to be involved:
- ABCA13 gene- member of the ABC gene subfamily A; encodes several thousand amino acids
- C4A gene- encodes acidic form of complement factor 4 (part of the classical activation pathway)
- DGCR2 gene- encodes a novel putative adhesion receptor protein; its deletion has been associated with a wide range of developmental defects
Genetics Home Reference (25 Apr. 2017) schizophrenia. Retrieved April 25, 2017 from https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/schizophrenia#genes
Genetics Home Reference (25 Apr. 2017) ABCA13 gene. Retrieved April 25, 2017 from https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/ABCA13#normalfunction
Genetics Home Reference (25 Apr. 2017) C4A gene. Retrieved April 25, 2017 from https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/C4A
Genetics Home Reference (25 Apr. 2017) DGCR2 gene. Retrieved April 25, 2017 from https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/DGCR2
prevention
- Avoid use of psychotic drugs and moderate alcohol consumption
- These have been shown to cause brain damage and potentially increased risk of developing the disorder
- Develop social skills as much as possible
- Maintain a few close friends with which to discuss issues freely
- Researchers suggest learning in "emotional intelligence" is important to enhance knowledge and skills in
- Avoid social isolation
- Maintain friendships with trusted and respected adults
- These may serve as people that are trusted, interested in helping with a problem, and reliable of seeking out help and advice from
- Educate yourself on how to deal with stress and anxiety
- Discuss problems concerning stress, depression, fear, or anxiety with close friends or trusted adults
- Use stress-relieving techniques, such as
- Progressive muscle relaxation
- Guided imagery
- Meditation
- Exercising
- Seek help from qualified psychologists and psychiatrists should problems arise with coping
- Contact them if any of these symptoms arise:
- Abnormal thoughts
- Unusual behavior
- Social withdrawal
- Changes in perception
- Less commonly:
- Loss of interest
- Lack of motivation
- Changes in daily patterns, such as eating or sleeping
- Feeling suspicious of others, or like things are unreal
- Contact them if any of these symptoms arise:
Chiko, B. (2010) Schizophrenia Prevention. Retrieved April 13, 2017 from http://www.schizophrenia.com/prevention.htm
Robinson, L. (Apr. 2017) Relaxation Techniques for Stress Relief. Retrieved April 15, 2017 from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/relaxation-techniques-for-stress-relief.htm