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How much do we know about schizophrenia and how well do we know it? Evidence from the Schizophrenia Library
S L Matheson1, A M Shepherd1, V J Carr1
1Schizophrenia Research Institute, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW,Australia.
Psychological Medicine
|July 29, 2014
Summary
Schizophrenia research yields substantial knowledge, yet true findings remain elusive. This systematic review synthesizes evidence from high-quality reviews, confirming treatment efficacy while highlighting persistent cognitive and biological challenges.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
Background:
- Schizophrenia research is marked by replication issues and conflicting results.
- Systematic reviews and meta-analyses offer robust conclusions and effect size estimates.
- This study synthesizes evidence from high-quality systematic reviews on schizophrenia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically synthesize existing evidence on schizophrenia from well-conducted reviews.
- To provide a comprehensive overview of current knowledge regarding schizophrenia's etiology, symptoms, and treatments.
Main Methods:
- Searched multiple databases (Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, Current Contents, PsycINFO).
- Conducted duplicate review selection, data extraction, and quality assessment.
- Graded evidence quality based on sample size, result robustness, and study design.
Main Results:
- High-quality evidence confirms the efficacy of numerous psychosocial and biomedical treatments for schizophrenia.
- Schizophrenia is associated with cognitive deficits, subtle brain alterations, altered physiological functioning, and increased mortality.
- Risk factors include cannabis use, birth complications, prenatal infections, childhood adversity, urbanicity, and immigration.
Conclusions:
- Despite substantial knowledge, a complete understanding of schizophrenia remains limited.
- Further research is needed to address the complexities and inconsistencies in schizophrenia findings.
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