Explainer | What is schizophrenia? Meet a professor with the condition, and other experts, who debunk myths about it

Fewer than 1 in 100 people suffer from schizophrenia, yet it is among the most stigmatised of mental illnesses, its links to violence exaggerated

Elyn Saks is a professor with the disorder. She and other experts explain its symptoms, dispel misconceptions and reveal how fulfilling living with it can be

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Schizophrenia is one of the most stigmatized mental illnesses, but experts say that representations of the condition in the media are often exaggerated or false. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 4:15pm, 1 Dec 2022Updated: 4:23pm, 1 Dec 2022

As an expert in mental health policy, Elyn Saks is highly accomplished in her field. She graduated from Yale Law School in the United States, teaches law, psychology and psychiatry at the University of Southern California Law School, and is a recipient of many honours, including a prestigious MacArthur fellowship, awarded to people who exhibit extraordinary ability and dedication in their field.

She also lives with schizophrenia – a diagnosis she revealed in her memoir, The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness.

High achievements and severe mental illness are not mutually exclusive, but many people may not know much about schizophrenia beyond media depictions associating it with violence, failure or deviancy.

Schizophrenia is a lifelong, psychotic disorder that is estimated to affect fewer than 1 per cent of the global population, but is one of the most stigmatised mental illnesses.

Mental health policy specialist Elyn Saks, who has schizophrenia. Photo: Twitter@USCGouldLaw

It affects how people think, feel and act, and is most commonly characterised by delusions and hallucinations, impaired cognitive thinking and difficulty socialising with others, which can make it difficult for some – but not all – to access treatment or maintain employment and housing.

If left untreated, schizophrenia can result in substance use, homelessness, social isolation and even suicide. People have also associated it with violence and mass shootings. However, psychologists warn the relationship between schizophrenia and violence is often oversimplified.