The role of stress in etiopathogenesis and the course of schizophrenia
Adam Wysokiński

Schizophrenia-like psychoses are one of the major problems in modern psychiatry. This is due not only to their high incidence in the general population, but it is also associated with the complexity of psychiatric and psychological problems, which make up the clinical picture of the diseases in this group. The mental state of people with schizophrenia results from the experienced hallucinations, delusions, negative symptoms, mood disorders, cognitive disorders and the impact of numerous stressors. These symptoms and disorders have a chronic adverse impact on the professional and family life of patients, which translates not only into significant deterioration in the patients’ quality of life, but also makes patients more susceptible to various psychosocial stressors. Chronic excessive stress is a phenomenon with a proven role in triggering the first episode of schizophrenia. In addition, stress has a negative impact on the course of the disease due to the increased risk of recurrence. An important task for psychiatrists and psychologists is to draw attention to the mechanisms of coping with stress available to the patient, because with them, patients will be able to deal more effectively with difficult situations.