This year, 1 in 100 people will join an estimated 21 million others worldwide who have schizophrenia (WHO, 2017a). This disorder knows no national boundaries, and it typically strikes as young people are maturing into adulthood. Men tend to be struck earlier, more severely, and more often (Aleman et al., 2003; Eranti et al., 2013; Picchioni & Murray, 2007).
When schizophrenia is a slow-developing process, called chronic schizophrenia, recovery is doubtful (Harrison et al., 2001; Jääskeläinen et al., 2013). This was the case with Maxine, whose schizophrenia took a slow course, emerging from a long history of social inadequacy and poor school performance (MacCabe et al., 2008). Social withdrawal, a negative symptom, is often found among those with chronic schizophrenia (Kirkpatrick et al., 2006). Men, whose schizophrenia develops on average four years earlier than women’s, more often exhibit negative symptoms and chronic schizophrenia (Räsänen et al., 2000).
When previously well-adjusted people develop schizophrenia rapidly following particular life stresses, this is called acute schizophrenia, and recovery is much more likely. They more often have positive symptoms that respond to drug therapy (Fenton & McGlashan, 1991, 1994; Fowles, 1992).