Is schizophrenia hereditary?
Schizophrenia does have a genetic component, but it's not inherited in a straightforward way like eye color. Having a family member with schizophrenia increases your risk, but it doesn't guarantee you'll develop it.
Here's what the research shows about genetic risk:
- In the general Show Full Answer
Is schizophrenia hereditary?
Schizophrenia does have a genetic component, but it's not inherited in a straightforward way like eye color. Having a family member with schizophrenia increases your risk, but it doesn't guarantee you'll develop it.
Here's what the research shows about genetic risk:
- In the general population, about 1 in 100 people develop schizophrenia
- If one parent has it, each child's risk is about 10-15%
- If both parents have schizophrenia, the risk can be 35-46%
- For identical twins (who share 100% of their genes), if one has schizophrenia, the other has a 40-50% chance
- For fraternal twins (who share about 50% of their genes), the risk is about 1 in 8
Many people diagnosed with schizophrenia don't have any family history of it. This shows that while genes play a role, they don't tell the whole story.
Other factors also matter, including your environment during childhood and adolescence, brain development, certain life experiences, stress, and complications during pregnancy or birth. Schizophrenia likely results from a combination of genetic factors, environmental influences, and life experiences working together.
February 17
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