Schizophrenia is a tough condition to wrap our minds around. This is especially true in the Black community, where we tend to avoid tough conversations. Chances are you know someone who is struggling with their mental health and they may even be dealing with a schizophrenia diagnosis. You probably want to understand the condition better and learn why they were diagnosed. The truth is, it’s a complicated mental illness to understand, even for some medical professionals.
Through research, it’s been found that it takes a combination of genetics AND environment to trigger schizophrenia. Knowing what increases the chances of a schizophrenia diagnosis can actually help paint a better picture of what it is and what the odds are for a diagnosis
Schizophrenia & Genetics
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You can think of your genes as an instruction manual for your body. If there’s a switch in these instructions it can sometimes increase your risk of developing diseases like schizophrenia. Doctors believe that it takes many genetic changes, or mutations, to raise your chances of having this mental illness. So, there isn’t just a single schizophrenia gene.
What Are The Odds?
That doesn’t mean that there aren’t genetic factors. If someone in your family has it, you’re more likely to get it. So if a parent or sibling has schizophrenia, the odds go up by 10%. If both parents have it, the odds go up by 40%. Your odds are greatest if you have an identical twin with the disorder, a 50% chance.
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Some people who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia have no family history of it. In cases like this, scientists believe that a gene may have changed and triggered the condition.
Causes
Genetic
Many genes can play a role in the odds of getting schizophrenia. A single change can do it, but it typically takes several smaller changes to build up, leading to a higher risk. There’s still some uncertainty around how genetic changes lead to schizophrenia.
Environment
Again, these changes in genetics can interact with occurrences in your environment which can boost the odds of diagnosis. While there isn’t proof, there are theories. Research suggests that exposure to certain viral infections or lack of proper nutrition before birth (especially during a mom’s first 6 months of pregnancy) can increase chances in offspring.
Certain mind-altering drugs can also increase the likelihood of a diagnosis. Psychoactive or psychotropic drugs such as methamphetamine or LSD increase risk. Some research suggests that marijuana can have a similar risk. The younger a person starts and the frequency at which these drugs are administered increases the chance for symptoms like delusions, hallucinations, trouble organizing thoughts, and inappropriate emotions.
The Role of Brain Structure & Chemistry
1. Scientists have been investigating the role that brain structure and function play in people with and without schizophrenia. So far the following has been found in schizophrenia patients.
2. Ventricles (spaces in the brain) were larger. The medial temporal lobes, which deal with memory, were smaller. Fewer connections were found between brain cells.
3. Neurotransmitters, which control the body’s communication with the brain, also tend to have differences when compared to those of people without schizophrenia.
4. Upon examining the brain tissue of schizophrenia patients post-death, brain structure was also found to be different than it was at birth.
What You Should Know…
Additional Risk Factors for Schizophrenia include the following:
-An older father
-Problems with your immune system, like inflammation or an autoimmune disease
-Taking mind-altering drugs as a teen
-Complications during pregnancy or birth such as:
Low birth weight
Premature labor
Exposure to toxins, bacteria, or viruses
Lack of oxygen during birth
Living in a low-income urban area
We hope this information helps you to better understand how schizophrenia develops in a person. Share with a loved one and start having conversations today!
Jasmine Danielle is the Associate Editor of BlackDoctor.org. She received her BFA in Dance Education & Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has since done work as a certified fitness & wellness educator, blogger, dancer, and designer.
