Causes of schizophrenia

The causes of schizophrenia have been the subject of much debate, with various factors proposed and discounted or modified. The language of schizophrenia research under the medical model is scientific. Such studies suggest that genetics, prenatal development, early environment, neurobiology and psychological and social processes are important contributory factors. Current psychiatric research into the development of the disorder is often based on a neurodevelopmental model (proponents of which see schizophrenia as a syndrome.) However, schizophrenia is diagnosed on the basis of symptom profiles. Neural correlates do not provide sufficiently useful criteria. ""Current research into schizophrenia has remained highly fragmented, much like the clinical presentation of the disease itself"". The one thing that researchers can agree on is that schizophrenia is a complicated and variable condition. It is best thought of as a syndrome, a cluster of symptoms that may or may not have related causes, rather than a single disease.It is possible for schizophrenia to develop at any age, but it mostly happens to people within the ages of 16-30 (generally males 16-25 & females 25-30) - about 75 percent of people living with the illness develop it at this age. There is a likelihood of children developing schizophrenia, though it is quite rare before the age of 12. Also, new cases are uncommon after age 40. In addition, about 1 percent of the world's population will develop schizophrenia over their lifetime, therefore out of all the people born, one in 100 will develop schizophrenia by age 55. There is on average a somewhat earlier onset for men than women, with the possible influence of the female hormone estrogen being one hypothesis and sociocultural influences another.