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There has been mounting evidence that inflammation and the immune system play key roles in the development of schizophrenia and other psychiatric conditions.

Researchers from the UK Medical Research Council recently analysed microglia. These act like gardeners to our brain, weeding out any infection and ‘pruning’ unwanted connections between brain cells.

To record the activity of microglia, researchers injected 56 people with a chemical dye. The highest level of activity were found in those with schizophrenia and also those at high risk of developing schizophrenia.

“This is a real step forward in understanding.” says Dr Oliver Howes, head of psychiatric imaging group at the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre.

“For the first time we have evidence that there is over-activity even before full onset of the illness.”

He goes on to explain that if they were able to reduce this activity, they might be able to prevent the...

People with schizophrenia are left struggling with relationships and are losing the opportunity to work due to the lack of support.

Over 1,000 people with schizophrenia took part in the survey, and it was found that there are long delays in accessing effective talk therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

Schizophrenia can cause muddled thoughts, a change in behaviour and people living with the condition may experience hallucinations.

According to the NHS, around one in 100 people will experience the condition. Schizophrenia is becoming one of the most common mental health conditions with diagnosis typically occurring between the ages of 15 and 35.

The charity Rethink Mental Illness (RMI), found 89 per cent of people felt the lack of support was having a negative effect on their well-being and life.

A mere 28 per cent of people with schizophrenia had received the recommended 16 hours of talk therapy, whilst nearly a quarter had to...

If you have a friend or family member with schizophrenia, helping them find treatment and cope with symptoms can make a huge difference in their recovery. Dealing with schizophrenia can be difficult even if you are not the one with the condition, but you don’t have to cope on your own.

It is important to offer support to the person, but it is also important to look after yourself and take advantage of the support groups available.

If someone close to you has schizophrenia, you may struggle with a mixture of difficult emotions. You will often feel fear, guilt, anger, frustration and sometimes hopeless.

The illness can be hard to accept and you may feel lost on how to help them. In order to cope with schizophrenia in your family, try to:

• accept the illness
• be realistic
• keep your sense of humour.

Your friend or family member needs to feel better, happy and enjoy their life – do your best to help them achieve that but...

Developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge, a computer-based memory game has been tested on a small number of schizophrenia patients with positive results.

With results showing improvements in learning and memory, the game may be able to help patients return to work after a diagnosis.

Schizophrenia causes various psychological symptoms including hallucinations and behaviour changes. Many sufferers also have problems with cognition, with their memory often being affected. This can make it difficult for some patients to live independently.

The brain-training game has a wizard theme and contains various levels of difficulty. The players have to enter different rooms, find boxes and then remember where they put them.

According to professor Barbara Sahakian, who researched the impact of the game, patients who played made fewer errors in memory and brain functionality tests after playing the game. This, she says, is an indication that patients...

The research in question looked at 780 people, 410 of whom had experienced psychosis and 370 healthy participants – all aged between 18 and 65.

The research was carried out by King’s College London and suggests that the risk of psychosis is three times higher for those who smoke potent, skunk-like cannabis than non-users.

A spokesman from the Home Office has commented to say this study highlights the reasons why cannabis is still an illegal drug in the UK.

Interestingly the study found that the use of hash, a much milder form of the drug, was not linked to an increased risk of psychosis.

The term psychosis refers to hallucinations or delusions that are typically present in conditions such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Dr Marta Di Forti, lead author of the study said that compared to those who had never tried cannabis, regular users of high-potency cannabis had a ‘threefold increase in risk of psychosis’, adding...

World Mental Health day is an initiative run by the World Federation for Mental Health and was first celebrated in 1992. The aim of the initiative is to raise awareness of various mental health issues, including mental health education and advocacy. Each year a different mental health concern is addressed, and this year the focus is on schizophrenia.

What is schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a condition that affects the way a person thinks, feels and acts. The symptoms vary, however a common denominator is that those with the condition find it difficult to judge reality. Symptoms include:

• difficulty sleeping
• changes in appetite
• inconsistent feelings/emotions
• skewed perception of reality
• hearing voices and/or hallucinations.

How can it be treated?

Treatments will differ according to the individual; however talking therapies combined with medication is usually advised...

In surfers paradise, Bondi Beach Australia, a groundbreaking fitness programme has been developed to tackle the growing problem of physical health in those with mental health conditions. After noting its success, the NHS is importing the model to help in the UK.

There are over 300,000 people in England diagnosed with conditions such as psychosis, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Antipsychotic medicine is often prescribed, and while it is effective at reducing symptoms, other side effects include rapid weight gain. This weight gain can become such a cause for concern for the patient that they stop taking the medication, which in turn leads to relapse.

In addition to this, it has been found that many people with mental health problems tend to have poor diets, smoke and take little exercise. All of these factors considered, it comes as no surprise that they die, on average, 15-20 years earlier than the general population.

Five years ago mental health workers in...

In the world’s largest study of schizophrenia, researchers have found more than 100 genes that enhance the risk of developing the severe brain disorder – 80 of which have never before been discovered.

This groundbreaking research ends a long debate on whether or not biology plays a significant role in schizophrenia – a condition which affects more than 24 million people worldwide.

Led by Cardiff University, the study – which involved the input of 35 countries – examined the genetic makeup of 37,000 people with schizophrenia, using a control group of 110,000 people without the disease.

Many of the genes they discovered play an important role in the relaying of chemical messages around the brain, while the others help to keep the immune system functioning properly.

Lead researcher, prof Michael O’Donovan said: “For many years it has been difficult to develop new lines of treatment for schizophrenia, hampered by a...