• Helpful Actions
• Supporting Scientific Evidence

Recent studies have indicated that children who grow up in enriched educational, nutritional and social environments have lower rates of mental illnesses and anti-social behavior that are common precursors to schizophrenia.

The effects of early environment on the developing brain have been shown in numerous studies with rats. For example, one study (Brain Dev. 2005 Jun;27(4):275-8) showed that adult rats which had been raised in an enriched environment (that is, with toys to play with and other rats to socialize with) had a greater number of one type of glutamate receptor (called AMPA) in their hippocampus. Abberant glutamate transmission has been implicated as a possible causal factor for schizophrenia symptoms in humans.

Helpful Actions: Children should be brought up in enriched educational, nutritional and social environments whever possible to minimize their chances of developing schizophrenia.

Supporting Research (a sample):

• Study shows childhood development factors may correlate to schizophrenia (News)
• Environment 'stunts young brains' (BBC News, March 2004)
• Early nutrition and risk of schizophrenia (News)
• Effects of environmental enrichment at ages 3-5 years on schizotypal personality and antisocial behavior at ages 17 and 23 years. (Research)
• Social environment, ethnicity and schizophrenia. A case-control study (Research)