Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by distortions in thinking, perception, emotions, and behavior. It affects approximately 1% of the population and typically emerges between ages 16-25. The disorder is defined by a combination of positive symptoms like hallucinations and delusions as well as negative symptoms involving deterioration of social and occupational functioning over a period of 6 months or more. While the causes are not fully known, genetics and environmental factors are thought to play a role in schizophrenia.