"The World Health Organization estimates that schizophrenia affects around 24 million people, or roughly 1 in 300 individuals worldwide. This severe mental illness not only disrupts the lives of those affected but also carries significant social and economic burdens. Even more concerning, individuals with schizophrenia have an average life expectancy 15-20 years shorter than the general population, primarily due to higher rates of physical health conditions, lifestyle factors, and the challenges of accessing consistent, effective care."
"Like many mental health conditions, psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia are often accompanied by significant stigma. Fueled by widespread misconceptions and harmful stereotypes, this stigma perpetuates false beliefs such as, all individuals with schizophrenia are violent or pose a danger to society. As a result, people with schizophrenia are sometimes unfairly isolated, marginalized, or treated with fear and mistrust. These negative attitudes not only worsen the challenges that individuals with schizophrenia face but also contribute to social exclusion."
Schizophrenia affects about 24 million people worldwide and reduces average life expectancy by 15–20 years due to physical health conditions, lifestyle factors, and difficulties accessing consistent care. Stigma and harmful stereotypes drive social exclusion, isolation, and barriers to help-seeking. Antipsychotic medications primarily target positive symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions but often fail to ameliorate social withdrawal and cognitive deficits. The disorder presents with heterogeneous manifestations and multiple causes, complicating treatment. Group therapy can be effective and may outperform individual therapy in certain areas, offering a valuable complement to pharmacological approaches.
Read at Psychology Today
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