Where your DNA places you among other people, and the studies behind it.
Not tailored to your result, and not medical advice
Avoid Cannabis, Especially in Adolescence: Frequent cannabis use is consistently associated with a higher risk of psychosis, and the association is strongest for heavy use beginning in adolescence - a sensitive period for brain development. While these studies are observational and cannot prove causation, the dose-response relationship is robust, making avoidance a prudent precaution, particularly for those with a family history. Stimulant drugs such as amphetamines can also provoke psychotic symptoms. Schizophrenia Bulletin
Maintain Social Connection and Support: Social isolation is associated with poorer mental health and worse outcomes in schizophrenia, while strong social ties provide emotional support and structure. Psychosocial support - including family involvement, supported employment or education, and community engagement - is a core part of evidence-based care and helps people stay engaged in treatment and daily life. National Institute of Mental Health
Protect Sleep and Manage Stress: Disrupted sleep and high stress can precede or worsen psychotic symptoms in vulnerable individuals. Keeping a consistent sleep-wake schedule and using stress-management strategies such as regular exercise, structured routines, and relaxation techniques supports overall mental health. Emerging sleep problems are worth addressing promptly. National Institute of Mental Health
Seek Early Evaluation If Symptoms Emerge: A shorter time between symptom onset and treatment is linked to better outcomes. Coordinated specialty care for first-episode psychosis - combining medication, therapy, family support, and education or employment support - has been shown in trials to improve quality of life and reduce symptoms. If you notice unusual perceptual changes, withdrawal, disorganized thinking, or emerging paranoia, seek professional evaluation promptly. National Institute of Mental Health (RAISE)
How much of this is genetic?
Genetics explains 80% of why people differ in this trait. The rest is environment, daily habits and chance.
Heritability estimate: Hilker et al. 2018, Biol Psychiatry
Background and further reading
Schizophrenia is a serious psychiatric condition that affects how a person thinks, perceives, and feels. Lifetime prevalence estimates generally fall below 1%, with U.S. and international figures spanning roughly 0.25-0.75% [1]. Symptoms usually first appear in late adolescence or early adulthood and fall into three broad groups: positive symptoms (hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking), negative symptoms (social withdrawal, blunted emotion, loss of motivation), and cognitive difficulties (problems with memory, attention, and planning). The course varies widely between individuals, and many people improve substantially with treatment and support. A genetic score is not a diagnosis - schizophrenia can only be assessed by a clinician.
Genetic Basis: Schizophrenia is one of the most heritable psychiatric conditions, with twin studies estimating heritability around 79-81% [2]. The largest genome-wide association study to date, involving up to 76,755 people with schizophrenia and 243,649 controls, identified common-variant associations at 287 distinct loci and pointed to genes expressed in neurons and involved in synaptic organization and signaling [3]. Despite this, common variants captured by such studies explain only about 24% of the variation in liability, well below the twin estimate - a gap that reflects the contribution of rarer variants [3]. The strongest single signal lies in the major histocompatibility complex region on chromosome 6, where structural variation in complement component 4 (C4) is associated with risk, plausibly through its role in synaptic pruning during brain development [4]. Rare copy-number variants such as the 22q11.2 deletion carry much larger individual effects but account for only a small fraction of cases [3]. Other implicated pathways involve dopamine and glutamate signaling, and there is substantial genetic overlap with bipolar disorder.
Environmental Risk Factors: Despite high heritability, non-genetic factors also matter. Frequent cannabis use is associated with a markedly increased risk of psychosis - meta-analysis estimates a roughly four-fold increase in odds among the heaviest users compared with non-users, with adolescent use of particular concern [5]. These studies are observational, so they show association rather than proven causation, but the dose-response pattern is consistent. Obstetric complications, urban birth and upbringing, childhood adversity, social isolation, and migration-related stress have all been linked to higher risk. The neurodevelopmental model holds that inherited vulnerability, combined with early-life and adolescent stressors, can disrupt normal brain maturation, including synaptic pruning and prefrontal development.
The published research behind your score, and the variants it draws on.
5 published scores from 2 studies
The schizophrenia score combines 5 polygenic scores drawn from 2 published studies.
Sekar A, et al. Schizophrenia risk from complex variation of complement component 4. Nature (2016)
These traits are influenced by some of the same genes and variants as this one
Bipolar Disorder: A mood disorder characterized by alternating episodes of mania and depression.
Content updated August 2026.
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