Is schizophrenia Inherited?

Question:

I am starting to wonder about this?

Answers:
It's a yes and a no. Evidence points towards yes. You are 33% more likely to become schizophrenic if someone in your immediate family is schizophrenic. Although, anyone can develop it, even if no one in the family has had it before. Thus the confusing arguement. Studies also say that schizophrenia may be more dormant in some people compaired to others and depending on your lifestyle, that dormancy can either be eradicated or sustained.

Other Answers:
Apparently so.

It can be genetic. It does not mean all of the decendents will inherit it, but there is a chance. You would have to talk to a genetic counsellor to find out the staticial chances.

It can be a genetic disorder yes. My friend has it in her family, and her mom is paranoid schizophrenia. I heard somewhere that if one identical twin has it there is a 50% chance the other will get it. Something about stressful triggers. It's not always hereditary .

My dad is paranoid schizophrenic and suffers from ptsd. He lives well on medication - quetiapine - on his own. I have two brothers, the youngest being 25 and no sign of schizophrenia yet from any of us. Also no family history of it.

Studies performed on identical twins have both supported and rejected inheritence to schizophrenia. In otherwords, we're back at square one.

Scientists have long known that schizophrenia runs in families. It occurs in 1 percent of the general population, but is seen in 10 percent of people with a first degree relative (a parent, brother, or sister) with the disorder. People who have second degree relatives (aunts, uncles, grandparents, or cousins) with the disease also develop schizophrenia more often than the general population. The identical twin of a person with schizophrenia is most at risk, with a 40-65 percent chance of developing the problem.2,4

Our genes are located on 23 pairs of chromosomes that are found in each cell. We inherit two copies of each gene, one from each parent. Several of these genes are thought to be associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia, but scientists currently believe that each gene has a very small effect and is not responsible for causing the disease by itself. It is still not possible to predict who will develop the disease by looking at their genetic material.

Although there is a genetic risk for schizophrenia, genes alone are not likely to be sufficient to cause the disorder. Interactions between genes and the environment are thought to be necessary for schizophrenia to develop. Many environmental factors have been suggested as risk factors, such as exposure to viruses or malnutrition in the womb, problems during birth, and psychosocial factors, like stressful environmental conditions.

Studies of identical twins who were adopted and raised apart show that schizophrenia is about fifty percent genetic and fifty percent environmental, because if one twin is schizophrenic, odds are fifty percent that the other twin will be also. If your non identical brother or sister is schizophrenic, your odds of having it are about nine percent. For comparison, in the general population, the rate of schizophrenia is one percent.

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Is schizophrenia Inherited?

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