About schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder

Schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder are serious, long-term mental health conditions that can greatly impact a person’s life as well as the lives of their friends and family members.

These conditions may make it difficult to think clearly, manage emotions and function in daily activities.

According to the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH), the exact number of people with schizophrenia is difficult to estimate, but between 2–3 million Americans are living with the diagnosis.³ Research shows anywhere from 0.25%–0.64%³ of the population is living with schizophrenia and ~0.3%⁴of the U.S. population is living with schizoaffective disorder. Schizophrenia⁵ and schizoaffective disorder⁴ are equally prevalent in men and women, although tend to emerge earlier in males (late adolescence to early 20s) than females (early 20s to early 30s)⁴.

Medications for schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder

The current therapies for schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder generally involve taking medication daily, which can be a hard schedule to maintain. Additionally, the only long-acting medicines for schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder currently require an injection. This is why the Starlyng-1 study is researching a once-weekly oral capsule in adults with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.

Resources

For more information on schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder visit:

If you or someone you know is suicidal or experiencing a mental health emergency, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

^{3 National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.) Schizophrenia. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/schizophrenia}
^{4 National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). (n.d.) Schizoaffective Disorder. https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/Schizoaffective-Disorder}
^{5 Goldstone, L.W. (2020). Unmet medical needs and other challenges in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia. The American Journal of Managed Care, 26(3). https://www.ajmc.com/view/unmet-medical-needs-and-other-challenges-in-the-treatment-of-patients-with-schizophrenia-}