Schizophrenia in popular periodicals.

To examine what the general public is learning about schizophrenia, all articles on schizophrenia listed in the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature for all even-numbered years between 1964 and 1992 were read and rated. Hallucinations and delusions were the most commonly mentioned symptoms in the articles reviewed, biochemical dysfunction and heredity the most noted causes, and drugs the most cited treatment. The average yearly number of articles was relatively small, however (9.1), and only a minority of those appeared in general circulation magazines. In addition, community support was seldom included in discussions of treatment and specific misconceptions about schizophrenia were rarely addressed.