Schizophrenia symptoms often appear suddenly

Schizophrenia symptoms, like psychosis, often first emerge among young adults

A combination of genetics, significant brain changes to the frontal cortex, and hormonal changes during young adulthood—late teens to early 30s—result in schizophrenic symptoms often showing up during this period. The stress of life changes at that age may also be a contributing factor.

Schizophrenia is challenging to diagnose and treat

The disorder is diagnosed by a clinician who observes behaviors and medical history and may run additional tests to rule out other explanations for symptoms including physical injury or other mental health disorders. But, ultimately, it's largely a diagnosis of exclusion—since there is no definitive test for the disease. Antipsychotic medications can help control its symptoms for some patients, but there is no cure for schizophrenia.

People with schizophrenia typically die 9 years earlier than the general population

The syndrome, which affects roughly 1 in 233 adults, is often associated with other serious health issues, including cardiovascular, metabolic, and infectious diseases, which may contribute to early deaths. The side effects of long-term antipsychotic medications also may influence the mortality timing—weight gain, for example, is a common side effect of the drugs and can contribute to cardiovascular issues.

Traumatic childhood experiences heighten the risk of developing schizophrenia

Clinically termed as "adverse childhood experiences," events such as physical or mental abuse or the death of loved ones have repeatedly been linked to an increase in rates of developing schizophrenia later in life. The reasons behind this link remain under investigation.

Less than 1% of people globally have schizophrenia, a syndrome strongly linked to genetics

Schizophrenia's causes remain largely unknown, though scientists suggest it's caused by multiple factors. Its symptoms include disruption of thought processes rather than the exhibiting of multiple personalities. This brief video provides an overview of the condition.

Schizophrenia literally means 'split mind'—a reference to patients' break with reality

Contrary to the name, patients do not have multiple personalities. Rather, the split mind refers to the sufferers' inability to distinguish reality from hallucinations when they are aware and awake. Cognitive difficulties, including challenges focusing and communicating are also common among those with schizophrenia, as well as auditory and visual hallucinations.

The term schizophrenia was coined by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler in 1908

He launched the word during a lecture at the German Psychiatric Association in Berlin. In his talk he focused on the splitting of psychic functioning as a defining feature of the disease and noted it wasn't associated with dementia or factors like early puberty onset.

Alzheimer's brain changes may begin years before symptoms appear

The debilitating disorder degrades cognitive abilities. Its symptoms may start with subtle memory issues, but by the time patients notice any changes, neural changes may already be progressing, such as the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques between neurons and tau protein tangles within them.

Deinstitutionalization in the 20th century unintentionally led to the incarceration of schizophrenia patients

Activism to shut down problematic asylums in the mid-20th century led to the community release of many patients with severe mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, but without adequate support, this deinstitutionalization in the 1960s and 1970s led to a significant increase in patients with schizophrenia ending up in prisons and homeless shelters.

Why might someone want to stay in psychosis?

Author Abigail Gosselin writes that her verbal auditory hallucination, often assumed by others to be harmful or threatening in nature, offered a salve to loneliness, even as it told her to kill herself. This perceived benefit and others Gosselin shares offer insight into why people in psychosis may struggle to adhere to treatment and medication plans.

PTSD is a long-lasting mental disorder linked to past traumatic events

Posttraumatic stress disorder is a mental health condition arising from traumatic events with four key symptoms: intrusive memories, avoidance behavior, negative moods and thoughts, and changes in emotional and physical reactions.

Circadian rhythm disruption can influence various mental health disorders

This 2020 research overview surveys the relationship between disrupted circadian clocks and disorders including schizophrenia, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. It incorporates findings and therapeutic approaches drawing from human night shift studies and jet lag studies alongside animal research.

Narcolepsy occurs when the brain loses its ability to control its sleep-wake cycle

Narcolepsy not only makes people fall asleep at random moments, but it can also cause hallucinations, insomnia, and sleep paralysis. The disorder is tied to cells in the brain’s hypothalamus called hypocretin, which are neuropeptides responsible for keeping you awake and controlling your dreaming from coming on too quickly.

How seizures (potentially) alter consciousness

Seizures occur when intense electrical activity floods the brain, prompting significant loss of self-control and a variety of sensory disruptions and hallucinations. Cultures interpret the episodes differently, with many contemporary norms viewing them as negative while others characterize them as intense spiritual occasions. Author Fyodor Dostoyevsky viewed his seizures this way, as well as cultures in Mongolia, some Shamanic indigenous religions, and others.

About 12.5% of US adults experience a phobia in their lifetime, a diagnosis that hinges on the intense fear interfering with daily life and persisting for at least six months.

Its predictability distinguishes SAD from other forms of depression

Most major depression is "stochastic"—brought on without a clear trigger. SAD—also known as major depression with a seasonal component—is unique in that its onset is predictable. Many of those affected can predict its occurrence accurately within a range of three weeks. This podcast explores this unusual feature of SAD, among other expert takes.

In 2011, a mysterious illness spread around LeRoy, New York

A handful of girls were stricken with bizarre twitches, tics, and spasms — all apparently involuntary. Some believed the incident to be conversion disorder, an illness where emotional troubles have physical symptoms.

The rare but deadly time bomb lurking after a measles infection

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, also known as Dawson disease, is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative condition caused by a dormant measles infection. Typically, patients recover from measles normally, with the symptoms of SSPE only appearing years or even decades later. The incidence rate in unvaccinated pediatric patients is estimated to be around one in 1,300.

Mental health symptoms may manifest differently across cultures

Mental health, like physical health, is imbued with values, beliefs, and traditions. Symptoms of distress are not universal and may differ based on racial, ethnic, and cultural contexts. Because mental health may be stigmatized or communities may have varying belief systems about causes of mental health challenges and how to fix them, it may affect how symptoms manifest. Chest pain, for example, may be a sign of mental distress—not the need for a doctor.

Symptoms of extreme radiation exposure may take hours to manifest

Large doses of ionizing radiation can damage the body within minutes, particularly in the bone marrow and inner layer of the digestive tract. Victims may briefly seem fine before rapidly deteriorating as immune failure, infection and organ collapse set in.

Vertigo can last for minutes—or months—and may occur periodically

Vertigo can be caused by a variety of conditions, including as a side effect of medication, but if it comes on suddenly and is accompanied by other symptoms including difficulty with speech or weakness on one side of the body it's important to go to the emergency room to get checked for a stroke. For recurring vertigo, care teams can teach patients exercises to limit panic, lessen nausea and teach the brain to better tolerate head movements.

Panic attacks are intense fear episodes that often occur without a clear trigger

Unlike typical fear responses to real danger, panic attacks can mimic serious health problems, such as heart attacks. Sweating during a panic attack may seem random, but it's a leftover survival mechanism that made it easier for our ancestors to escape by slipping out of an attacker’s grasp.

Seasonal allergies don't always show up in childhood

The human immune system may become sensitized to pollen and develop an allergic reaction to it after prolonged exposure. Other triggers for new seasonal allergies may include exposure to new environments and changing climate conditions that affect allergy season length and conditions for various pollens.

Anhedonia, which means 'without pleasure' in Greek, is typical in major depressive disorder

This common symptom—a flat affect—results in previously enjoyable hobbies no longer bringing pleasure. People with anhedonia may also avoid social situations because they anticipate they'll bring no joy, not because of anxiety or fear.

Autism rate increases are mostly among those with milder symptoms, not individuals with severe symptoms

Broader case definitions and better screening are typically now detecting more milder cases of autism rather than individuals who have severe impairments (who could be categorized as having profound autism). Profound autism rates, an autism researcher says in this article, have stayed proportionately steady.

'Blackout challenge' can cause brain damage or death in under 5 minutes

A social media trend that encourages viewers to asphyxiate themselves until they lose consciousness in the hopes of feeling "high" or euphoric has garnered the interest of teens and adolescents, with dangerous results. Variations of this deadly challenge have been adolescent trends every few years.

Alzheimer's can lead to brain shrinkage, with an average of around 2% of volume reduction per year

The hormonal disorder PCOS was renamed PMOS in 2026, a move designed to improve care and research by shifting the focus to the hormonal causes of this condition that affects 1 in 8 women.

For centuries, it was common to sleep in two shifts: a few hours at the beginning of the night, and a longer period beginning around midnight

Stars appear to twinkle because turbulence in the motion of molecules in Earth's atmosphere causes light to bend and wiggle rapidly on its way to the surface—a phenomenon called scintillation.

After her fellow cult members tried to kill her with an LSD-infused hamburger, one member of the Manson Family, the murderous cult led by Charles Manson, decided to testify against the group's leader.

The 2026 Ebola outbreak is hampered by a lack of vaccine against the species of the virus, heightening the need for rapid tests to aid in disease control.

See images of medical cases of firework injuries shared on this 'Instagram for doctors.' (Warning: Graphic content)

Discover the catastrophic consequences of a failure of the US electrical grid—something that is more likely than many Americans think.

The first horror movie is believed to be George Méliès' 1986 short 'The Haunted Castle,' which pioneered the use of special effects

Volcanic activity may have triggered the Black Death by spewing gases that led to crop failures in Europe, thus forcing the import of grain ships with plague-infested fleas.

Graffiti dates back to at least ancient Pompeii, where citizens scrawled messages to one another on public walls

Poison ivy's rash-causing compound is found in the plant's roots, stem, and leaves—so coming into contact with any part of the plant can lead to rashes for the 85% of people who are allergic to it.

Crows are believed to have intelligence on par with a seven-year-old child and demonstrate complex behaviors, from problem-solving with tools to recognizing human faces.

In 1939, baseball star Lou Gehrig delivered his inspirational 'Luckiest Man' speech after retiring due to the health condition that now bears his name.

Fast-casual restaurant Chili's is experiencing a resurgence, with its parent company recently reporting a nearly 32% increase in sales, thanks to passionate Gen Z fans on TikTok.

Existentialist writer Jean-Paul Sartre coined the famous phrase 'Hell is—other people' in his play 'No Exit'

In 2009, the nation was gripped by the story of a missing young boy who was believed to be floating over Colorado in a homemade balloon, until it was revealed that he was at home the whole time.

An initial public offering or 'IPO' is the process of a private company becoming public by putting shares of the company on the stock market for purchase.

See photos of Meteora, a mountainous site in central Greece, home to 14th-century monasteries perched atop soaring outcroppings.

Watch contemporary footage covering the US-backed Shah of Iran fleeing the country in the face of the 1979 Iranian Revolution

Comedy legend Catherine O'Hara, star of 'Schitt's Creek' and 'Home Alone,' quit 'Saturday Night Live' after just one week to return to her old job.

'Shogun,' a 1980s TV series, helped popularize sushi in the US by stimulating an American interest in Japanese culture.

Coral polyps reproduce via broadcast spawning, where entire reefs simultaneously release reproductive cells for about one hour, once a year.

Meet the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence—most of whom didn't put pen to paper until August 2, 1776—and see their original signatures.