Is Schizophrenia Hereditary? Causes, Symptoms, Risk Factors & Therapies

By We Level Up FL Treatment Center | Editor Yamilla Francese | Clinically Reviewed By Lauren Barry, LMFT, MCAP, QS, Director of Quality Assurance | Editorial Policy | Research Policy | Last Updated: April 24, 2023

Causes Of Schizophrenia

Is schizophrenia hereditary? The exact causes of schizophrenia are unknown. According to research, a person may be more susceptible to acquire the illness if a combination of physical, genetic, psychological, and environmental factors are present.

Some people may be prone to schizophrenia, and a stressful or emotional life event might trigger a psychotic episode. The reason why some people experience symptoms while others do not is unknown.

Schizophrenia may also be influenced by psychosocial variables.

Schizophrenia affects 20 million people worldwide but is not as common as other mental disorders. Schizophrenia also commonly starts earlier among men. [1] Studies on persons with schizophrenia have revealed minute variations in their brain architecture. Not all persons with schizophrenia experience these changes, and they can also happen in healthy individuals. However, they opine that schizophrenia might also be a brain illness.

Schizophrenia is linked to significant disability and may impair academic and professional success. Two to three times as many people with schizophrenia die before their prime as the overall population. Physical ailments like cardiovascular, metabolic, and viral diseases are frequently to blame for this. People with schizophrenia frequently experience stigma, discrimination, and human rights violations.

Triggers

In those who are at risk, triggers can lead to the development of schizophrenia.

These include:

Stress

The primary psychological triggers of schizophrenia are stressful life events, such as:

• Bereavement.
• Losing your job or home.
• Divorce.
• The end of a relationship.
• Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse.

Despite being stressful, these kinds of situations do not lead to schizophrenia. However, if a person is already susceptible, they can cause it to develop. [2]

Is Schizophrenia Genetic Or Hereditary? (Genetic Schizophrenia)

Is schizophrenia hereditary disease? Although schizophrenia tends to run in families, there isn’t just one gene that causes it (genetic schizophrenia).

Is schizophrenia hereditary? It’s more likely that particular gene combinations increase a person’s susceptibility to the illness. Nevertheless, schizophrenia is not a guarantee if you have these genes.

Genetics of schizophrenia: Studies on twins provide evidence that the condition is partially hereditary. Twins who are identical have the same genes.

If one identical twin experiences schizophrenia, the other twin has a one in two probability of experiencing it as well. Even if they were reared apart, this is still true.

In non-identical twins with differing genetic make-ups, there is only a 1 in 8 chance that the other twin will also experience the symptoms of schizophrenia.

This implies that there are other factors impacting the development of schizophrenia in addition to genes, even though the likelihood is higher than in the general population, where it is approximately 1 in 100.

Schizophrenia Genetic Risk, Schizophrenia and Genetics (Schizophrenia Genetics)

Genetic basis for schizophrenia: One of the biggest dangers of the condition is having a first-degree relative (FDR) who has it. The risk increases from 1 percent in the general population to 10 percent when an FDR, such as a parent or sibling with schizophrenia, is present. If both parents have schizophrenia diagnoses, the risk increases to 50%; if an identical twin has schizophrenia diagnoses, the risk ranges from 40% to 65%.

Schizophrenia Genetic Inheritance

According to a 2017 Danish study based on data from over 30,000 twins nationwide, schizophrenia is 79 percent heritable.

Based on the 33 percent risk for identical twins, the study came to the conclusion that inherited factors are not the main reason of schizophrenia vulnerability. Even though family members are more at risk for schizophrenia, the Genetics Home Reference reports that most people with a close relative who has the condition won’t go on to have it themselves.

Skip To:

Learn More:

• Schizophrenia Causes, External and Biological, Risks, Triggers, & Treatment
• Psychotic Break Defined, Symptoms, Causes, How To Help Someone Experiencing Psychosis & Treatment Options
• Schizophrenia Treatment, Signs, Symptoms & Causes
• List Of Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia, Treatment, Medications, Lifestyle & Therapies
• Cocaine Addiction Treatment, Symptoms, Causes, Overdose Risk Factors & Alcohol Abuse
• Effective Depression Treatment, Depressive Disorder Symptoms, Types, & Causes
• CBT Therapy For Addiction And Co-Occurring Disorders, CBT Techniques and Treatment
• What Is a Co-occurring Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center? Why is dual diagnosis treatment vital for long-term Recovery?
• Top 20 Books About Schizophrenia
• Late Onset Schizophrenia Deadly Side Effects, Symptoms, and Treatment Options

Schizophrenia Statistics

A mental disorder called schizophrenia is characterized by disturbances in thought, perception, emotional responsiveness, and social interactions. Although each person’s experience with schizophrenia is unique, the condition is typically chronic and can be both severe and incapacitating.

Is Schizophrenia Genetic or Environmental?

There is no known precise cause of schizophrenia. According to research, a person may be more susceptible to acquiring the illness if a combination of physical, genetic, psychological, and environmental factors are present. Because certain people are predisposed to schizophrenia, a problematic or upsetting life event could set off a psychotic break.

Schizophrenia Genetic Testing

Genetic testing for schizophrenia: Schizophrenia in isolation has a complicated ancestry. Numerous possible susceptibility genes and genomic areas are being studied. The interplay of genetic vulnerability and other variables is probably what causes the disease to develop. Although there are speculative familial hazards for schizophrenia, no clinical genetic test is currently available. Affected individuals and those with a family history of schizophrenia may benefit from genetic counseling.

Symptoms

Psychosis, a category of mental disorder marked by abnormalities in thought, perception, emotion, language, sense of self, and behavior, includes schizophrenia. Common experiences include:

• Hallucination: hearing, seeing, or feeling things that are not there;
• Delusion: fixed false beliefs or suspicions not shared by others in the person’s culture and that are firmly held even when there is evidence to the contrary;
• Abnormal behavior: disorganized behavior such as wandering, mumbling or laughing to self, strange appearance, self-neglect, or appearing unkempt;
• Disorganized speech: incoherent or irrelevant speech; and/or
• Disturbances of emotions: marked apathy or disconnect between reported emotion and what is observed, such as a facial expression or body language.

Genetics

It has traditionally been assumed that changes in the DNA sequence are solely responsible for the transmission of schizophrenia. However, twin studies show that it is also conceivable that an epigenetic mechanism may contribute to the transmission of schizophrenia. The possibility of a role for epigenetics, i.e., changes in phenotype not explained by DNA sequence, was raised first to explain the incomplete concordance for schizophrenia in monozygotic twins but remains little tested due to methodological difficulties. [3]

According to research, those who develop schizophrenia are more likely to have had birth or prenatal difficulties like:

• A low birth weight.
• Premature labor.
• A lack of oxygen (asphyxia) during birth.

The development of the brain is slightly impacted by these factors.

Drug Abuse and Schizophrenia

Although studies have indicated that drug abuse raises the likelihood of getting schizophrenia or a comparable disorder, drugs do not directly cause schizophrenia.

Cannabis, cocaine, LSD, and amphetamines in particular can cause schizophrenia symptoms in those who are vulnerable.

Using amphetamines or cocaine addiction can lead to psychosis and can cause a relapse in people recovering from an earlier episode.

According to studies, teens and young adults who routinely use cannabis have a higher risk of developing schizophrenia in their later years. [4]

How is Schizophrenia Diagnosed?

Human rights abuses against people with schizophrenia frequently occur in mental health facilities and communities. The disorder carries a lot of stigma. This contributes to prejudice, which can then restrict access to basic services like housing, job, and education.

Schizophrenia commonly has a chronic course, albeit with fluctuating patterns and cognitive disability. Its hallmark is psychosis, mainly characterized by positive symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions frequently accompanied by negative (deficit) symptoms such as reduced emotions, speech, and interest, and by disorganization symptoms such as disrupted syntax and behavior. Severe mood symptoms, including manic and major depressive episodes, are present in many cases.

There are no diagnostic laboratory tests for schizophrenia; the diagnosis relies on clinical observation and self-report. Remarkably, ongoing epidemiological study over the last century using the clinical phenotype, but with variable ascertainment and assessment rules, has consistently shown the importance of genetic factors in schizophrenia.

Treatment

More than 69% of those who have schizophrenia don’t get the care they need. 90% of those with untreated schizophrenia reside in underdeveloped or middle-income nations. An important problem is the lack of access to mental health services. Furthermore, compared to the general population, those who have schizophrenia are less likely to seek treatment.

Schizophrenia can be cured. It is effective to treat patients using medication and psychosocial assistance. However, the majority of those who have persistent schizophrenia do not have access to care.

There is overwhelming evidence that traditional mental hospitals violate the fundamental human rights of people with mental illnesses and are inadequate at delivering the necessary care. There is a need to broaden and speed up efforts to move mental health care from institutions to the community. The engagement of family members and the broader community in providing support is critical.

Treatment Options

Schizophrenia currently has no known cure, largely due to the fact that there is no one cause that has been identified by researchers. However, there are therapy alternatives that can assist manage symptoms and enhance a person with the condition’s everyday functioning.

Medication 

Antipsychotic medications are typically administered to reduce the severity of the psychotic symptoms that characterize this condition. They cannot, however, guarantee that there won’t be any further psychotic episodes.

You could have adverse effects including weight gain and restlessness when you start using antipsychotic drugs. Most likely, these symptoms will go away with time. Speak with your doctor right away if they don’t or start to get worse.

Other side effects of antipsychotic medications include:

• Blurred vision.
• Drowsiness.
• Dry mouth.
• Muscle spasms.
• Restlessness.
• Tremor.

Even if your symptoms significantly improve and you believe you no longer require medication, you shouldn’t stop taking any prescription drugs for schizophrenia without first talking to your doctor.

Some common medications for schizophrenia include:  

• Risperidone (Risperdal).
• Olanzapine (Zyprexa).
• Quetiapine (Seroquel).
• Ziprasidone (Geodon).
• Clozapine (Clozaril).
• Haloperidol (Haldol).

Many drugs have adverse effects, including neurological symptoms and weight gain. Newer medications may have less severe side effects, however.

A person must continue their treatment plan, even if the symptoms improve. The symptoms may return if a person stops taking medication [4].

Psychotherapy 

Psychotherapy treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy and behavioral skills training are typically recommended to help manage symptoms of schizophrenia. These procedures are suggested in addition to medicine, not in substitute of it. Your daily functioning will be improved and your ability to control your symptoms will be strengthened through psychotherapy treatments.

Coping 

It can be challenging to live with and support a loved one who has schizophrenia, especially if they are exhibiting severe psychotic symptoms such hallucinations and delusions. A person with this ailment needs the care and support of the people closest to them in addition to the treatment regimen recommended by their doctor. Here are a few ways you can contribute:

• Encouraging them to join organizations with others who have the same ailment to form support groups. You can get more coping strategies from the support groups available to loved ones of people with this condition.
• Ensure they are consistent with their treatment and taking their medications regularly. 
• Be supportive when they have a psychosis episode. While you can tell they are hallucinating or having a delusion, they can’t. 

Whether this is your first and last treatment program, or even if you invested years of your time in and out of other therapy programs, we can make you feel at peace again. The We Level Up FL Behavioral Center is unique in offering unparalleled evidence-based programs. Along with ultra modern therapeutic modalities to advance mental health treatment outcomes. Moreover, the We Level Up FL Mental Health Center also offers the following:

• Quick intake appointments. And in some cases, where warranted, same-day admissions.
• Comfortable & safe settings with attentive staff in modern facilities with amenities to promote recovery.
• In-house Teams of specialists trained to deal with complex multi-diagnosis mental illness and its corresponding underlying triggers.
• Complimentary critical family and alumni programs so you’ll have support while in treatment and beyond. Even after you leave.
• We accept most insurance and offer free benefits verification without any obligation.
• Secondary co-occurring dual diagnosis treatment programs.
• Intensive residential inpatient treatment.

Visit the We Level Up FL behavioral recovery center & talk with faculty members. Tour the facility and see why we’re an established complex diagnosis treatment center. Visit patient community areas and lounges. There you can find outdoor spaces for patients to recuperate and rebound. Witness how you can feel at home at We Level Up FL’s behavioral center. In large part, the answers to your recovery should include locating a reputed and well-qualified therapy program for your treatment.

If you have concerns regarding your diagnosis or want licensed guidance for your questions, such as is schizophrenia hereditary? Please contact us.

How to Improve Mental Health & Schizophrenia? 8 Steps & Tips for Maintaining Your Mental Wellbeing Video

8 Steps for Mental Wellbeing & How To Improve Mental Health In The Workplace

1. Staying Positive
2. Practicing Gratitude
3. Taking Care of Your Physical Health
4. Connecting With Others
5. Developing a Sense of Meaning and Purpose in Life
6. Developing Coping Skills
7. Meditation
8. Relaxation Techniques