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Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling form of mental illness. It interferes with a person's ability to think clearly, manage emotions, make decisions, relate to others, and distinguish delusions or hallucinations from reality. The onset of schizophrenia can be either sudden or gradual over a period of a few years. There is a wide range of severity as well as duration of illness. Its impact on the quality of life of the patient is pervasive and it can cause severe disruption to activities of daily living. Schizophrenia is considered the most stigmatizing of all mental disorders and leads to discrimination, poor self-esteem, depression, demoralization, and sometimes even suicide. The treatment team for schizophrenia consists of a psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse, social worker, and others. Fortunately, most patients with schizophrenia respond to treatment.

Schizophrenia typically begins with a prodromal period during which impairment of function becomes noticeable as well as agitation or anxiety, followed by a psychotic episode during which the patient experiences severe psychotic symptoms such as delusions or hallucinations, and a recovery period, during which the patient may be relatively stable. Patients may experience exacerbations and remissions for many years. Schizophrenia is considered to be a life-long condition.