Schizophrenia is partly genetic- one out of ten people who have at least one schizophrenic relative also have schizophrenia (compared to one out of one hundred people in general). About one out of two people whose identical twins have schizophrenia also have schizophrenia. However, schizophrenia is not completely genetic. If schizophrenia was completely genetic, everyone who had an identical twin with schizophrenia would also have schizophrenia. This is not the case. Like I said before, about 50% of people whose identical twins have schizophrenia also have schizophrenia. There are environmental as well as genetic factors to schizophrenia.
No. Schizophrenia is a mental illness, not a physical one. It is at least theoretically possible that it could be hereditary, but definitely not contagious.
Schizophrenia is most likely to be treated with antipsychotics such as Haldol or Abilify.
Schizophrenia occurs equally in males and females.
Teenagers and young adults are most likely to get schizophrenia. Women with schizophrenia are more likely to have less severe schizophrenia and have paranoid schizophrenia, as well as developing schizophrenia at an average age of 25; men have a more severe course, with higher rates of disorganized and catatonic schizophrenia as well as developing schizophrenia at the average age of 18.
Yes. Schizophrenia is partly genetic, meaning that if you have a relative with schizophrenia you are likely to also have schizophrenia. About 1/10 of people with a relative with schizophrenia develop schizophrenia, compared to 1/100 people without a relative with schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia is not caused by emotional trauma. However, a pre-existing tendency may be triggered by such events. Schizophrenia is primarily hereditary, with a small sub-set of cases possibly being caused (or triggered) by head trauma.
Statistically, yes. There is a strong correlation between schizophrenia and genetics. That said, schizophrenia occurs in about .5% of the general population. So while you are statistically more likely to develop symptoms than someone who has no schizophrenics in their family, it is still quite unlikely that you will develop symptoms.
Paranoia, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder are partially (but not completely- environmental factors can still influence them) inherited. They are not passed from father to son any more than they are from mother to daughter.
There is no specific type of schizophrenia that is associated with self-harm. Self-harm in schizophrenia is generally associated with delusions. For example, a patient with schizophrenia may believe that if he or she cuts off a finger then the world will be saved. Because self-harm in schizophrenia is associated with delusions, patients with paranoid schizophrenia or undifferentiated schizophrenia may be more likely to self-harm than patients with other types of schizophrenia.
Under certain conditions, Wilson's Disease can exhibit symptoms of Schizophrenia. this however is very rare and the actually conditions have not been fully examined. Additionally, there are a variety of personality disorders that may resemble schizophrenia or a schizoid personality disorder. Mental illnesses, in general, are not necessarily hereditary, but rather increase the probability. It depends on the symptoms the client may possess and if the client is experiencing delusions. There are additional variables that need to be taken into account that are not specified in the question.
Most people with schizophrenia are not violent. However, if the person with schizophrenia has a history of violence, it may not be safe to be around them. Schizophrenics who use drugs are also more likely than others to be violent.
The best way to better understand schizophrenia is to get to know someone who is coping with that diagnosis. It is very likely that someone in your circle of acquaintances has personal experience with some form of schizophrenia or a related mental illness.