Schizophrenia
Amber Keller
avkeller@ucsd.edu
Psychology major.
Raise Mental Health Awareness: Break the Stigma!
Despite the
stigma, “Mental
illnesses are not
the result of
personal
weakness, lack of
character, or poor
upbringing. Mental
illnesses are
treatable.” - National
Alliance On Mental
Health.
Schizophrenia
-General Background
-Symptoms
-Causes
-Treatment
& the
stigma
associated
with it  
What is Schizophrenia?
•
•
•
•
Severe, long-term
brain disorder.
~1% of Americans
have this disorder.
Stigma: They are
super violent and
scary.
Actuality: Risk of
violence = small.
http://www.neurosci.ucla.edu
Symptoms
Schizophrenics may suffer from ANY combination of these:
Positive
symptoms-something
you “get” because of the
disorder.
 1) Hallucinations-
Things they may hear,
see, smell, or feel that
no one else does.
Hearing “voices”, is the
most common.
Positive symptoms continued
 2) Delusions- False
beliefs.
 Ex: They may believe
they are an FBI agent or
famous person. Or
others are paranoid
and believe that people
are planning to hurt
them or their family.
http://www.clivir.com
Positive symptoms
 3) Disordered
behavior- Some may
take part in repetitive
movements, while
others are catatonicthey do not move or
respond to others for
hours at a time.
Negative symptoms
Something you may “lose” because of the
disorder:
 Joy in everyday life/social function
www.brainline.org
 “Flat affect”- lack of facial
expressions, and a monotone voice
 Good hygiene
Cognitive symptoms
 Trouble focusing
 Working memory
psychology.wikia.com
http://www.myhealthnewsdaily.com
deficits
 This is another reason
why when untreated,
most schizophrenics
rely on others and do
not hold a job
Symptoms Misidentified
1st symptoms of schizophrenia such as:
Sleep changes
Bad grades
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com
http://www.myzeo.com
are often misidentified by others as depression,
laziness, or lack of motivation.
Causes of Schizophrenia!?
Thought to be a complicated of interplay of:
1)Genetics
Causes of Schizophrenia!?
For those already
predisposed to
mental illnesses in
their family, recent
studies suggest that
marijuana may
trigger onset of
schizophrenia.
(Psychology 179: Drug Addictions and
Mental Disorders. Professor George
Koob. UCSD).
Causes of Schizophrenia!?
If genetically predisposed: Does marijuana use cause
schizophrenia? Or does being schizophrenic cause
marijuana use? Still being studied.
Psychology 179: Drug Addictions and Mental Disorders. Professor
George Koob. UCSD).
Causes of Schizophrenia!?
People with schizophrenia
tend to have higher rates
of genetic mutations. One
gene may be responsible
for chemical imbalances in
schizophrenia. Research is
still ongoing.
(National Institute of Mental Health).
xenophilius.wordpress.com
Causes of Schizophrenia!?
4) Brain Chemistry and
Structure
There are
medications to
decrease dopamine
production now.
http://www.scienceclarified.com
Those who don’t seek treatment 
25% of homeless have a
mental disorder.
4-16% of them have
schizophrenia.
Only about half of the
homeless with schizophrenia
estimated to be receiving
treatment.
Statistics from Guest Lecture by: David L.
Braff M.D. (UCSD Schizophrenia Research
Program)
Success is still an option…
• John Nash. Brilliant
mathematician, most
popular for his works
in the game theory.
• Shared a Nobel Prize
in Economic
Sciences in 1994.
• Has had a successful
life, with the disorder.
nytimes.com
The movie, “A Beautiful Mind” was loosely-based on his life.
Treatment
There are
many
treatment
options! One
should talk to a
professional to
see what
works best for
them.
Take Away Message…
- Schizophrenia is a no fault disorder, a biological
illness, that they do not choose.
- They are unaware that their behaviors are unusual
and they are convinced that their hallucinations are
real.
- Therefore, they need lots of support from family and
friends so that they will seek treatment and improve
their daily lives.
• Professor George Koob (Ph.D.)
Psychology 179: Drug Addictions and
Mental Disorders. gkoob@ucsd.edu
• David L. Braff (M.D.) , Schizophrenia
Research Program at UCSD, Guest
Lecturer for Professor Koob’s class.
• National Institute of Mental Health-On their
site you can find much useful info about
many mental illnesses and treatment
options. Also find out how to volunteer.
www.nimh.nih.gov/
• National Alliance On Mental Health
www.nami.org/
Professor George Koob.
http://neurograd.ucsd.edu
Credit  given to: