Genetics
First degree relative i.e. son/daughter has a 10% chance of developing schizophrenia if the parent has it. McGuffin at al (1996) found that 46% concordance in MZ (identical) twins compared to 20% concordance in DZ (non-identical) twins, this means that if an MZ twin was to develop schizophrenia, there is a 46% chance of the other twin also developing it.
Infection
14% of cases of schizophrenia, related to being exposed to flu in the womb in the first trimester.
Biochemistry
Neurotransmitters are thought to be imbalanced in the nervous system of people suffering from psychological disorders. Excessive amounts of dopamine have been associated with schizophrenia and depression has been associated with low levels of serotonin.
Brain Structure/Damage
Abnormal behaviour can occur if the structure of the brain is damaged in some way. An example is that of enlarged ventricles. Ventricles are sacks of fluid in our brain, people with schizophrenia tend to have larger ventricles than the normal population.
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