World Schizophrenia Awareness Day- May 24

• World Schizophrenia Awareness Day is observed every year on May 24^th.
• It was first observed in 1984 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other organizations

ABOUT SCHIZOPHRENIA

• Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe mental disorder that affects the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, perceives reality, and relates to others.
• It mostly affects young adults in the productive age group.
• One in every 100 people experiences schizophrenia.
• Men are twice as likely to develop this condition as compared to women.
• Symptoms differ from person to person, but they generally fall into three main categories:
  • Psychotic symptoms– Hallucinations, Delusions, thought disorder, Movement disorder.
  • Negative symptoms– loss of motivation, loss of interest or enjoyment in daily activities, withdrawal from social life, difficulty showing emotions, and difficulty functioning normally.
  • Cognitive symptoms– problems in attention, concentration, and memory.
• There is no cure for schizophrenia. However a variety of antipsychotic medications are effective in reducing the psychotic symptoms.