Experts don’t know what causes schizophrenia. It may have different causes for different people. Some causes may be related to the following:
Genetics – Your chances of getting schizophrenia are greater if your parent, brother or sister has it. But most people who have a family member with schizophrenia don’t get it.
Brain chemistry and structure – Neurotransmitters send messages between parts of the brain. They may not work the right way in people who have schizophrenia.
Problems during pregnancy – Schizophrenia may be related to problems during the mother’s pregnancy that can harm a baby’s developing brain and nervous system. These problems include poor nutrition and viral infections during pregnancy.
Schizophrenia isn’t caused by anything you did, by personal weakness or bad choices, or by the way your parents raised you.
