People with schizophrenia follow many different paths of treatment, some effective, some not as effective. What has been your experience with the health care system since your loved one or you were diagnosed? What would have effected that path? Earlier diagnosis, different insurance options? What would you like to see more readily available? Visit the schizophrenia forum and share your thoughts with others!

Cold weather reminds me me of the large number of people with schizophrenia who will be homeless this winter. As many as 25% of homeless people suffer from schizophrenia or severe manic depressive illness. What can we do? Some ideas include becoming involved in advocacy for the mentally ill, volunteering some time at a homeless shelters or soup kitchen, or supporting organizations that advocate for the mentally ill and the homeless. We can also learn about services available in our communities for the mentally ill, so we'll be ready to provide information when we encounter someone in need. Society has a long way to go in providing adequate services for the mentally ill. When we join our voices as individuals, we play an important role in turning the tide.

Scientists are working hard to discover the genetic factors that lead to development of schizophrenia. The December, 2007, issue of The Archives of General Psychiatry reports new evidence of connections between the genes controlling schizophrenia and IQ. People with schizophrenia often have impaired working memory and lower IQ. This complex study involved pairs of identical and fraternal twins in the UK, of which one, both, or none of the twins had schizophrenia. Researchers found that healthy identical twins shared cognitive impairments with their ill twin more often than fraternal twins did with theirs. They found that 92% of the correlation between IQ and schizophrenia was explained by shared genetic variability. Findings like this may one day, far in the future, help researchers identify specific genes that can be targeted by genetic therapies.

Peer counseling has been helpful for patients with a number of psychiatric disorders, but has rarely been studied as a means of delivering information and support for people with schizophrenia. In a study reported in the December, 2007, issue of the journal Patient Education Counseling, eighty-five patients with schizophrenia addressed their questions about their illness to a man living with schizoaffective disorder for twenty years. Author Kluge-Rummel and colleagues report that not only were the patients' questions answered well, but they also felt they had received support and encouragement from a peer who had successfully lived with many of their own challenges. The study suggests that support and social service organizations should look for ways to implement and encourage peer counseling in their networks.