“What can I do, it’s in my genes!” In recent years, this has become a standard explanation for many of the health problems we have to face in our lives. Indeed, there are few human diseases without scientific studies trying to pinpoint ‘genetical causes’ as the root. Consequently, there are efforts to find genetic roots […]

‘You’re psychotic!‘ That’s supposed to be the ‘polite’ form of the phrase ‘You’re insane!’, used by some when they can’t explain the actions of a person. In deeply nature-bound cultures, people whose behavior strongly deviated from what was perceived as ‘normal’, were treated by magicians and shamans. In the West, however, they were locked up […]

For mental illness, pretty much the same rules apply as for the body: the sooner you treat it, the better the prognosis. Researchers at the Department of Psychiatry of the RUB clinic in Bochum, Germany developed a concept for early detection and treatment of schizophrenia that already “clicks” at the first signs of the disease. […]