Schizophrenia is a very heterogeneous psychiatric illness, which affects between 0.7 and 1% of the world population. She is often poorly understood and surrounded by many prejudices. However, early and appropriate treatment can significantly improve the quality of life of patients and allow them to regain a certain autonomy. We take stock of the different therapeutic alternatives with Professor Pierre-Michel Llorca, head of the psychiatry department at Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital and director of care at the FondaMental Foundation.
Reminder: what is schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric disorder which profoundly affects the way a person perceives reality, thinks, feels and interacts with their environment.
It manifests itself through positive symptoms (hallucinations, delusions), negative symptoms (lack of motivation, social withdrawal, etc.), symptoms of disorganization and cognitive symptoms (memory problems, concentration).
Its causes include genetic, neurochemical and environmental factors. As indicated above, it affects between 0.7% and 1% of the world population and generally appears between 16 and 30 years of age, although there are very early forms, which appear before 13 years of age.
Despite its relatively low prevalence, schizophrenia remains a major public health challenge, because it heavily impacts…
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