Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a serious brain illness. People who have it may hear voices that aren't there. They may think other people are trying to hurt them. Sometimes they don't make sense when they talk. The disorder makes it hard for them to keep a job or take care of themselves.
Symptoms of schizophrenia usually start between ages 16 and 30. Men often develop symptoms at a younger age than women. People usually do not get schizophrenia after age 45. There are three types of symptoms:
- Psychotic symptoms distort a person's thinking. These include hallucinations (hearing or seeing things that are not there), delusions (beliefs that are not true), trouble organizing thoughts, and strange movements.
- "Negative" symptoms make it difficult to show emotions and to function normally. A person may seem depressed and withdrawn.
- Cognitive symptoms affect the thought process. These include trouble using information, making decisions, and paying attention.
No one is sure what causes schizophrenia. Your genes, environment, and brain chemistry may play a role.
There is no cure. Medicine can help control many of the symptoms. You may need to try different medicines to see which works best. You should stay on your medicine for as long as your doctor recommends. Additional treatments can help you deal with your illness from day to day. These include therapy, family education, rehabilitation, and skills training.
It sits within Mental Health and Behavior.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Mental Health.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Schizophrenia
4,187 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- A Study to Evaluate KarXT as a Treatment for Psychosis Associated With Alzheimer's Disease (ADEPT-4)Karuna Therapeutics, Inc., a Bristol Myers Squibb company
- Evenamide, a Glutamate Release Modulator, as Add-On to Standard of Care in Subjects With Documented Treatment-Resistant SchizophreniaNewron Pharmaceuticals SPA
- Metformin Alleviates Abnormal Glucose Metabolism Induced by Statins in Schizophrenia PatientsCentral South University
- BRAVE Program to Improve Safety and Reduce Violence Risk in Early PsychosisHoward University
- Study to Assess the Safety, Tolerability, and Treatment Response of GXV813 in Hospitalized Adults With SchizophreniaNovartis Pharmaceuticals
- Biocollection on Peripheral InflammationNantes University Hospital
Research already completed
- Behavioral Impact and Neural Correlates of Network-based Brain Stimulation in SchizophreniaBeth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Clay Therapy in Schizophrenia PatientsKutahya Health Sciences University
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of Neuropsychiatric Patients and Healthy VolunteersNational Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- SchizophreniaNAMI
- SchizophreniaNational Institute of Mental Health
- SchizophreniaAmerican Psychiatric Association
Treatments and Therapies
- Brain Stimulation TherapiesNational Institute of Mental Health
- Mental Health MedicationsNational Institute of Mental Health
- PsychotherapiesNational Institute of Mental Health
Living With
- Managing Life with Serious Mental IllnessSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Related Issues
- Mental Health Providers: Tips on Finding OneMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Genetics
- Schizophrenia: MedlinePlus GeneticsNational Library of Medicine
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: SchizophreniaNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Schizophrenia. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Schizophrenia, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.