Studies and tests done have shown quite a disturbing fact about schizophrenia: it is the most common psychotic condition that affects man. A little more over 1% of the world's population develop at one time or another this terrible disorder. Numbers have shown that only in the USA more than 2.7 million people have it.



Factors that can determine which people may develop this are very wide spread. Age and intelligence of the person are some of the most important; cultural and geographical factors also play a part in this disease followed closely by social and economical ones; gender also posses a problem in who develops the disease. Some of the most important things that can later on trigger the appearance of the illness are childhood related problems. The age of the father has proven to be one of the many factors in this category. Malnutrition in the pregnant mother is also very important if such a problem is to be avoided. Any behavioral and motor problems in childhood may later on determine the disease to appear in that particular person. Studies are still being made to better understand the disorder and to try and prevent it from affecting future generations.

It has been proven that schizophrenia most often appears between adolescence and adulthood. Children that show any signs of schizophrenia will most certainly develop a more severe case of this disorder. People in their mid sixty's have also been found out to be more succeptive to becoming schizophrenic. This kind of schizophrenia doesn't have as many negative symptoms as the type that appears earlier in the life of a person.

A quite ironic fact is that most patients who suffer from schizophrenia have been very intelligent children in their youth. A decrees in the IQ of a child is most certainly a sign that later on in his life he might develop schizophrenia, or other psychotic symptoms.

Schizophrenia develops in people regardless of their whereabouts on the globe. Still it is believed that countries that are more developed than others have a bigger number of people suffering from this terrible disorder.

From an economical point of view, people in the lowest socioeconomic groups are increasingly more likely to develop schizophrenia. Either because of the increased risk of exposure to biological factors or the alienating effect of being in this social category, one thing is certain: risks are higher.

Comparing male and female cases scientist have found out that men tend to develop the disorder at an earlier stage in their lives than the women do. Also symptoms are more severe and behavior is significantly more chaotic or violent.

Nutritional deficiency during the labor of the mother will most certainly cause brain damage to the un borne baby significantly increasing the chances of later developing schizophrenia.