24/05/2026
May 24th marks World Schizophrenia Awareness Day, which is spent dedicated to increasing understanding, challenging stigma, and educating others about this often misunderstood condition.
I worked at Valkenberg psychiatric hospital and various other mental health hospitals and clinics across Cape Town for many years, and this is one of the conditions we most often treated.
Schizophrenia affects 1% of the population worldwide (1 out of every 100 people you may come across in your own life) and is a highly stigmatised condition often portrayed inaccurately in media including movies. It is a condition that does require a lot of care from both mental health professionals, and the families of these patients, and a big part of the support we should be offering today is for the *carers and family* of those with schizophrenia.
Those with schizophrenia are high risk for relapse as they do need to take medication chronically, and often when feeling well will either forget to take their medication, or choose not to because they feel so healthy. Early treatment and relapse prevention is the most important focus of care for these patients, as each relapse tends to worsen in severity but also tends to worsen the patient’s baseline for future management.
People with schizophrenia are often rejected in society due to fear of violence (which is not helped by all the stigma in media), yet preservation of purpose (for example inclusion in family and communities, occupational functioning, social engagement) for these patients is a known way to improve and maintain wellness and compliance to treatment.
Let’s think about those struggling with this condition today, and also see how we can offer community based empathy and care for them AND their carers.
