World Schizophrenia Awareness Day: 3.5 million Indians suffer from mental disorder

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that affects the ability of an individual to think, feel, and behave properly. The condition effectively disrupts the thought processes, perceptions, emotional responsiveness, and social interaction of the person.

The global burden of schizophrenia is estimated to be 24 million, which is around 1% of the global population, as per the World Health Organisation (WHO). Schizophrenia is considered a public health concern in India, since the number of people affected is 3.5 million, which is 3 out of every 1,000 people.

Schizophrenia Awareness Day is observed annually on May 24, with the theme for 2025 being ‘Rethink the label: Reclaim the story’. The theme emphasizes the need for how schizophrenia is perceived and the need for interaction.

Common causes for schizophrenia

Genetics play a fundamental role in disease development, while other causes like low birth weight, gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, maternal malnutrition, and Vitamin D deficiency may enhance the risk of disease development.

Dr Joy Mounica, consultant neurologist, Renova Hospital, Hyderabad, said, “The symptoms in schizophrenia are due to abnormalities in multiple neurotransmitters such as dopaminergic, serotoninergic, and alpha-adrenergic hyperactivity or glutaminergic and gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) hypoactivity”.

The common symptoms include persistent delusions and hallucinations, slowness in activities, anger and anxiety, hearing voices, paranoia, circumstantial speech, and impaired motor coordination.

Symptoms and challenges faced

The people affected by schizophrenia suffer from social and psychological issues, given the lack of awareness of the condition in society.

Dr Joy Mounica listed out the 4 common types of symptoms and principal challenges faced by individuals affected by schizophrenia.

“The main challenge faced by the affected individual is due to symptoms which include

1) Positive symptoms: These are abnormal experiences or behaviors that occur, including

Hallucinations - the things that are not there but are perceived.

Delusions- when you believe things that are not true.

Disorganized thinking or speech

2) Negative symptoms - These are normal behaviour, like not showing much emotion or not changing facial expressions or not moving or talking much or not taking shower or keeping clean and not showing much interest in spending time with people or fun.

3) Cognitive symptoms : The affected people will have trouble learning, remembering things, understanding speech or making sense of new information or solving problems.

4) Emotional symptoms in the form of anxiety or depression.

Treatment facilities

As per the findings of the WHO, the global treatment gap for schizophrenia is around 32.2%, which is as high as 85% in low and middle-income countries.

As per an article published in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry, the treatment gap is 72%, more than double that of the global average.

According to Dr Joy Mounica, “The symptoms of schizophrenia can be treated with antipsychotics. Treatment-resistant schizophrenia (30%) may benefit from electroconvulsive therapy, neuromodulation with TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation), and psychosocial intervention.

World Schizophrenia Awareness Day is observed to raise awareness of the illness, to fight against stigma, and to make it easy for people to seek different resources to get help. The activities held on the day may include consultations, counselling, medication, and comprehensive rehabilitation, which includes psychosocial and neurofeedback therapy.