Risk factors of schizophrenia
Risk factors are not the same as causes, although they tend to overlap since the exact cause of schizophrenia is unknown.
Having a risk factor for a disease or condition does not mean that an individual will for sure develop that condition, it only means that they have a higher tendency to.
Risk factors of schizophrenia include:
- Genetics
- Substance use
- Environment
There is no particular gene for schizophrenia, but there is thought to be a link between genetics and environment. Individuals who have close relatives with schizophrenia, like parents or siblings, are more than six times more likely to develop it as well.
Certain medications may also increase your risk of developing schizophrenia. For, example, mind-altering drugs are used during adolescence. The younger a person is and the more frequent the substance use occurs, the higher the risk.
Exposure to viruses or malnutrition in utero, especially in the first and second trimesters, has been shown to increase the risk of developing schizophrenia later in the future.