Schizophrenia

What is a psychotic disorder (schizophrenia)?

Psychosis describes when a person loses contact with reality and experiences severe instability (unpredictable changes) in thinking, emotions, and behaviour. It can make people have strange ideas and behave oddly. The main psychotic disorders are schizophrenia and drug-induced psychosis.

How common are psychotic disorders among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people?

Information about how many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a psychotic disorder is not available, but hospitalisation information from 2013-15 shows that there were more than 7,000 hospital admissions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for schizophrenia and other mood disorders [33151]. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were three times more likely to be hospitalised for these conditions than non-Indigenous people.

Research has also found that psychotic disorders are more common among young adult Aboriginal men, especially those who also have substance misuse problems, intellectual impairments, and diabetes.