What is schizophrenia?

Moscow investigators said today that a nanny accused of decapitating a child has been diagnosed schizophrenic, as footage emerged of her apparently linking the killing to Russia's bombing in Syria.

Suspect Gyulchekhra Bobokulova from Muslim-majority Uzbekistan whom the press has dubbed "the bloody nanny" was detained on Monday as she was waving the child's severed head outside a metro station in northwestern Moscow. She was sent for psychiatric examinations.

According to name.org, schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that interferes with a person’s ability to think clearly, manage emotions, make decisions and relate to others.

For a diagnosis of schizophrenia, some of the following symptoms are present in the context of reduced functioning for a least 6 months:
Hallucinations: These include a person hearing voices, seeing things, or smelling things others can’t perceive. Voices may involve people that are known or unknown to the person hearing them.

Delusions: People who have delusions often also have problems concentrating, confused thinking, or the sense that their thoughts are blocked. Negative symptoms often include being emotionally flat or speaking in a dull, disconnected way.

Cognitive issues/disorganized thinking: People with the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia often struggle to remember things, organize their thoughts or complete tasks. Commonly, people with schizophrenia have anosognosia or “lack of insight.”

This means the person is unaware that he has the illness, which can make treating or working with him much more challenging. Schizophrenia isn’t caused by just one genetic variation, but a complex interplay of genetics and environmental influences.

Exposure to viruses or malnutrition before birth, particularly in the first and second trimesters has been shown to increase the risk of schizophrenia. Inflammation or autoimmune diseases can also lead to increased immune system.

There is no cure for schizophrenia, but it can be treated and managed in several ways: Antipsychotic medications; Psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and assertive community treatment and supportive therapy; and Self-management strategies and education. People with schizophrenia may have additional illnesses.

These may include: Substance abuse; Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); and Major depression. Successfully treating schizohprenia almost always improves these related illnesses. And successful treatment of substance abuse, PTSD or OCD usually improves the symptoms of schizophrenia, adds nami.org in a detailed explanation. (https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions/Schizophrenia)