Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that leads to an abnormal interpretation of reality. Schizophrenia may cause a combination of hallucinations, delusions, severe thinking disturbances and behaviors that impair daily functioning, to the point that it may be disabling.
People with schizophrenia need treatment for life. Early treatment may help control symptoms before serious complications occur, and may also help improve quality of life. In an awareness campaign on schizophrenia launched in Bahrain, 102 medical students completed an 8-question survey testing their understanding of schizophrenia. The survey was completed in either Arabic or English, according to their preference.
Participants were asked to answer the following questions as true (y) or false (x):
1- Schizophrenia is the result of bad parenting methods.
2- Schizophrenia is a chronic medical disease that affects a person’s ability to interpret reality.
3- Schizophrenia is a disorder of schizophrenia.
4- People with schizophrenia die at an earlier age than others.
5- Schizophrenia results from the abuse of alcohol and drugs.
6- There is no specific cause for schizophrenia, but it is believed that the disease may result from the interaction of the genetic factor with external environmental factors.
7-People with schizophrenia are no more prone to violence than the general population.
8- Schizophrenia is characterized by auditory hallucinations, disturbed thinking and lack of emotional response.
Before you look at the results, test your knowledge about schizophrenia and answer the previous questions! Then you can see the answers below.
All participants answered all questions. The results showed that 62% of the participants believed that schizophrenia is the result of bad parenting methods. While 88% of the correct answers stated that schizophrenia is a serious medical disease that affects a person’s ability to interpret reality. Interestingly, only 49.01% saw schizophrenia as a schizophrenia disorder, which is a common misnomer. However, only 40% of the participants answered correctly that schizophrenia may cause death at an earlier age compared to others.
Awareness was divided about the possible causes of schizophrenia, as 39% chose that misuse of alcohol and drugs may cause schizophrenia, while 99% believed that there is no specific cause for schizophrenia, but rather it is a combination of the influence of genetic factors with external environmental factors.
Awareness was high regarding the symptoms of schizophrenia, which include auditory and visual hallucinations, disturbed thinking, and lack of emotional response by 93%. As for the risk of schizophrenia patients tending to violence, 53% of the participants agreed that schizophrenics are not more inclined to violence than others. In general, this is correct .
1- Schizophrenia is the result of bad parenting methods. (x)
2- Schizophrenia is a chronic medical disease that affects a person’s ability to interpret reality. (s)
3- Schizophrenia is a disorder of schizophrenia. (x)
4- People with schizophrenia die at an earlier age than others. (s)
5- Schizophrenia results from the abuse of alcohol and drugs. (x)
6- There is no specific cause for schizophrenia, but it is believed that the disease may result from the interaction of the genetic factor with external environmental factors. (s)
7-People with schizophrenia are no more prone to violence than the general population. (s)
8- Schizophrenia is characterized by auditory hallucinations, disturbed thinking and lack of emotional response. (s)
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