MHM Magazine

Issue 5 | 2021 | MENTALHEALTHMATTERS | 13 MHM From a young age, James* had been somewhat isolated, even from his siblings. His parents described him as a nervous and quiet child. He was born five weeks premature but met his developmental goals. He didn’t interact much with his peers at school, and never seemed at ease in social situations, even with those he’d known since kindergarten. After finishing high school, James moved in with his older sister Ruth, and assisted her husband in his workshop. He kept to himself and never had a serious relationship or many friends, but his family noticed that he com- pletely stopped going out or return- ing anyone’s phone calls about a year previously. He shrugged this off and told his sister he had better things to do. Sometimes she’d overhear him giggling to himself, but he never replied when she asked him what was funny. Two months before Ruth brought him to her local GP James had started staying up all night. His sister would hear him banging drawers and pacing around, and sometimes talking indistinctly. He seemed exhausted and distracted in the workshop, and then stopped going in. Conversations with him became impossible, as he’d either reply to questions with nonsensical statements or ignore them completely. When Ruth got a call from a neighbour who saw him wandering down the street in nothing but an old pajama top, she picked him up and took him directly to her doctor. James was admitted to an inpatient facility where, after ruling out physical conditions, substance-related conditions, and mood disorders, his treating team diagnosed him with schizophrenia. By Emily Victoria Knott Clinical Psychologist Johannesburg, Gauteng emvknott@gmail.com PRIMARY RISK FACTORS AND POTENTIAL TRIGGERS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA