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Who's at risk?Risk FactorsSchizophrenia affects approximately 1% of the population worldwide -- and about 2 million people in the U.S. It affects equal numbers of women and men, but men usually develop it at an earlier age, in their late teens or early 20s, while women usually see the first signs of the disease in their 30s. Although the best-known risk factors are genetic ones, having a schizophrenic in the family does not mean there will definitely be another one. Even among identical twins, for instance, there is only a 50% chance that both will develop schizophrenia. In addition to genes, new evidence suggests that various events -- such as viral infection during pregnancy or a particularly traumatic childbirth -- can increase a child's risk for developing the disease. |
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