Mr. Speaker, the Schizophrenia Society of Canada is launching a major campaign today to dispel the myths and misconceptions about schizophrenia and to raise public awareness regarding the real symptoms and the impact of the disease. The theme of the national campaign is: "If you think spelling it's hard, imagine living with it".
Schizophrenia will affect one out of every 100 persons, or about 270,000 Canadians. It is one of the most common forms of mental illness. Sadly, 40 per cent of people with this disease will attempt to take their lives. Sadder still, one-quarter of those will succeed.
Schizophrenia is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and typically strikes people in their late teens or early twenties, often lasting a lifetime.
I applaud the efforts of the Schizophrenia Society of Canada as it works to alleviate the suffering caused by this disease.