Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder that causes people with this disorder to misinterpret reality. It is one of the top ten causes of long-term disability. Schizophrenia patients may hear voices that might not be there, they will believe that people want to harm them, read their minds and control their thoughts. Because they experience these feelings, a person may become withdrawn and paranoid. The name schizophrenia leads us to believe that the illness results in a split personality. This was the old way of thinking about illness, but it is no longer the case today. Although the causes of schizophrenia are not yet determined, evidence suggests that environmental, social, and genetic factors may play a role in the development of the illness. People with schizophrenia develop this illness between the ages of 16 and 30. The disease does not develop quickly. The onset is gradual and subtle and usually occurs over a period of five years. People begin to experience three main symptoms: negative symptoms, cognitive disturbances, and then psychotic symptoms. A person with schizophrenia may experience negative symptoms. These are deficit states in which emotional and behavioral processes are reduced or non-existent. People with negative symptoms may be diagnosed with depression or other conditions because the symptoms are difficult to recognize as part of schizophrenia. Symptoms may include anhedonia, flat affect, apathy, and alogia. Flat affect occurs when a person's face does not move or they speak in a muffled voice. People with these symptoms may also lack motivation to begin or continue planned activities and lack the ability to feel pleasure. This person will also need help with daily tasks such as ...... middle of paper ......tion. Studies show that there is a link between health status and family relationships and its influence on the weakness, adaptation and recovery of a schizophrenic patient. Social factors such as social deprivation, poverty, ethnicity and immigration have been associated with schizophrenia. Research carried out in the 1980s and 1990s found high rates of schizophrenia among Britain's Afro-Caribbean community. This signifies a link between disease and ethnicity. However, recent studies have shown a high level of schizophrenia among immigrant populations. This means that the factor is migration rather than ethnicity. Schizophrenia is a lifelong illness that requires a person and their family to truly care for them. Many advances have been made in treatment and many patients can now live satisfying and meaningful lives in the community..