In plain words
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that causes psychosis: significant changes in how reality is perceived and in behaviour. It is associated with considerable disability and disruption to personal, family, social, educational and work life.
Key facts
- About 1 in 300 people (27 million) worldwide live with it.
- More than two out of three people with psychosis do not receive specialist mental health care.
- Effective care options exist, and at least one in three people with schizophrenia can fully recover.
- People with schizophrenia die about nine years earlier than the general population, often from physical illnesses such as cardiovascular, metabolic and infectious diseases.
Symptoms
Persistent delusions and hallucinations; experiences of thoughts or actions being controlled by others; disorganised thinking and speech; highly disorganised behaviour; negative symptoms such as limited speech, restricted emotion, loss of interest and social withdrawal; extreme agitation or slowing of movement. Memory, attention and problem-solving are often affected.
Course
Onset is most often in late adolescence and the twenties, earlier in men. Some people have periods of worsening and remission across life, others a gradual worsening. Stigma, discrimination and rights violations are common.
Sources
- WHO fact sheet, Schizophrenia, published 11 September 2026, read 9 October 2026.
Last reviewed: 9 October 2026. Reviewer: none yet. This page is general education and is not medical advice. Figures are WHO's and may have been updated since.