Posted by xjs7 on February 2, 2003, at 12:34:10
In reply to schizophrenia causes?, posted by Dave1 on January 30, 2003, at 22:26:28
What causes schizophrenia is a favorite topic for researchers and has been for years. I read an article a while ago that claims that something in cat feces can cause schizophrenia. I also read an article claiming that a lack of sun on the pregnant mother's part can cause schizophrenia in the child. An environmental cause has long been suspected, partly due to the fact that more people who develop schizophrenia are born in the winter months (with a peak incidence at March) in the northern hemisphere.
Some psychiatrists think that schizophrenia is caused by living in a stressful environment. They claim this is why certain minority groups develop the illness more than whites do. Most psychiatrists think the illness is mainly caused by genetics and environmental stressors (perhaps a virus) to the unborn child.
Researchers believe that schizophrenia is not caused by drug abuse, but is rather triggered by it. So, people have latent schizophrenia and it is "activated" by drug abuse or stress.
I could go on and on about this. No one really knows (yet). I think some advances will be made about the causes of schizophrenia in the next decade. I hope this answers your question.
xjs7
poster:xjs7
thread:138471
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030130/msgs/138905.html