An international team of leading researchers and clinicians provides the first comprehensive, epidemiological overview of this multi-faceted and still-perplexing disorder. Controversial issues such as the validity of discrete or dimensional classifications of schizophrenia and the continuum between psychosis and 'normality' are explored in depth. Separate chapters are devoted to topics of particular relevance to schizophrenia such as suicide, violence and substance abuse. Finally, new prospects for treatment and prevention are considered.

Developmental neurobiology has made important strides towards clarifying the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders over the past decade. Nowhere has the link between basic science and clinical insights become clearer than in the field of schizophrenia research. The contributors to this volume provide a state-of-the-art overview of relevant research, including directions for further investigation. The book will be of interest to researchers in psychiatry and neurobiology, students in psychology, and all mental health practitioners.