Schizophrenia is more common in which socioeconomic strata ?

Ans. is 'c' i.e., Low 'Schizophrenia is more prevalent in patients having a lower socioeconomic status". - Namboodiri Etiology of Schizophrenia The exact etiology is not clear. Expes think schizophrenia is caused by several factors. 1. Heredity (Genetic factors) Schizophrenia runs in families. The illness occur in 0.5-1% of general population. However, First degree relative of schizophrenic patients have a 10 times more lifetime risk of having illness. The risk is 3-6 times and 2 times more in second and third degree relatives, respectively 2. Environmental factors Environmental factors and stress are impoant in precipitating schizophrenia in many individuals. These factors are : ? Socioeconomic : - Low socio-economic status, Industrialization; Immigration; familes with high expressed emotions; Nuclear families; Schisms & skewed families; and pseudomutul & pseudohostile families. Drugs : - Drugs causing schizophrenia like state are amphetamine (most common causative drug), LSD, Phencyclidine, ketamine, Mescaline, Cocaine, Cannabis. Metabolic & Neurological disorders : - Schizophrenia like symptoms may occur in Huntington's chorea (early stage), homocystinuria, acute intermittent porphyria, Wilson's disease and hemochromatosis. 3. Biochemical factors Dopamine hypothesis is the most accepted hypothesis for schizophrenia. There is hyperactivity of dopaminergic system. This hypothesis is suppoed by: 1) Amphetamine and cocaine which release dopamine in central synapses induce schizophrenia like symptoms; and 2) Antipsychotic drugs control the schizophrenic symptoms by blocking dopamine (D,) receptors. However, the dipamine hypothesis has been questioned also as Homo vanillic acid (HVA the principal metabolite of dopamine) is not elevated and prolactin level is not decreased (Dopamine has inihibitory action on prolactin release). Other neurotransmitters involved are : - Increased serotonin, Decreased GABA, variable change (Increased or decreased) glutamate, and increased norepinephrine.