{"id":7405,"date":"2026-09-10T10:38:25","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T09:38:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/?page_id=7405"},"modified":"2026-09-11T06:37:30","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T05:37:30","slug":"candid-book-3-chapter-1","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/candid-book-3-chapter-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Candid book 3 – Chapter 1"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Chapter 1<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women and Men Living With Schizophrenia:
Understanding Emotional and Relational Differences<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This chapter invites you to follow a warm and open conversation about some of the sensitive aspects of living with schizophrenia, how the illness may affect women and men in similar or different ways, and how these differences can shape emotions, closeness, relationships, and family life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Download the chapter<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Mini-Glossary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psychosis:<\/mark><\/strong> A mental state in which perception of reality may be altered, sometimes involving
hallucinations, unusual beliefs, or confusion about what is real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Negative symptoms:<\/mark><\/strong> Symptoms that involve a reduction in normal emotional or behavioral functioning, such as
reduced facial expression, lower motivation, or social withdrawal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social cognition:<\/mark><\/strong> The brain\u2019s ability to interpret other people\u2019s emotions, facial expressions, intentions, and
social signals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Affective symptoms:<\/mark><\/strong> Emotional symptoms such as anxiety, sadness, irritability, or mood changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relapse:<\/mark><\/strong> The return or worsening of symptoms after a period of stability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caregiver:<\/mark><\/strong> A family member, partner, or friend who provides practical or emotional support to a
person living with an illness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emotional regulation:<\/mark><\/strong> The ability to manage and respond to emotional experiences in a balanced way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intimacy:<\/mark><\/strong> Emotional closeness, trust, and vulnerability shared between people in a relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Welcome to podcast #1<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding emotional and relational differences in women and men living with schizophrenia<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

with Elena Maurer<\/strong>, Health Journalist, and
Dr. Lukas Stein<\/strong>, Psychiatrist and Researcher<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elena:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Welcome to Living, Loving, Recovering, the podcast where we talk openly about what it means to support a loved one living with schizophrenia.

Today, we\u2019re exploring something many families notice, but often find difficult to put into words:

Do women and men experience schizophrenia differently, and how might these differences shape closeness and relationships?<\/mark><\/em>

To help us better understand this, I\u2019m joined by psychiatrist and researcher Dr. Lukas Stein.
Thank you for being here, Dr. Stein.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Dr. Stein:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you, Elena. And thank you to everyone listening, caregivers, partners, and family members. Your presence and involvement truly make a difference in the recovery journey.

This is an important topic, and one that is often overlooked.<\/mark><\/em>

We don\u2019t always speak openly about the emotional and intimate aspects of schizophrenia, even though they play a central role in relationships, in a person\u2019s sense of dignity, and in long-term well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Subchapter 1.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do women and men experience
schizophrenia differently?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Subchapter 2.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why does closeness feel different,
strained, or harder to access?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Subchapter 3.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why may it become harder to
understand each other emotionally?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Subchapter 4.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can schizophrenia influence
dating, intimacy, and long-term
relationships?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Subchapter 5.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pregnancy and motherhood in
women living with schizophrenia<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Clinical Stories<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

References<\/h5><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div>
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Bucci P, Giordano GM, Mucci A, et al. Sex and gender differences in clinical and functional indices in subjects with schizophrenia and healthy controls: Data from the baseline and 4-year follow-up studies of the Italian Network for Research on Psychoses. Schizophrenia Research. 2023;251:94-107.<\/p>

Seeman MV. Sex differences in schizophrenia relevant to clinical care. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics. 2021;21(4):443-453.<\/p>

Li R, Ma X, Wang G, Yang J, Wang C. Why sex differences in schizophrenia? A systematic review. Psychol Med. 2021;51(2):241\u2013250.<\/p>

Ochoa S, Usall J, Cobo J, Labad X, Kulkarni J. Gender Differences in Schizophrenia and First-Episode Psychosis: A Comprehensive Literature Review. Schizophrenia Research and Treatment. 2012;2012:1-9.<\/p>

Kraus J, \u010cavojsk\u00e1 N, Harvanov\u00e1 S, Hajd\u00fak M. Interpersonal distance in schizophrenia: A systematic review. Schizophrenia Research. 2024;266:1-11.<\/p>

Lee CY, Ahmed N, Ikhtabi S, et al. The experience of loneliness among people with psychosis: Qualitative meta-synthesis. V. Plos One. 2024;19(12):e0315763.<\/p>

White G, Haddock G, Haarmans M, Varese F. Being more satisfied with romantic relationship status is associated with increased mental wellbeing in people with experience of psychosis. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2023;14.<\/p>

Rodolico A, Bighelli I, Avanzato C, et al. Family interventions for relapse prevention in schizophrenia: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. The Lancet Psychiatry. 2022;9(3):211-221.<\/p>

Sisodia S, Hammond Z, Leonardi-Bee J, Hanlon C, Asher L. Sexual and reproductive health needs of women with severe mental illness in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review. Plos One. 2025;20(1):e0311554.<\/p>

Galbally M, Snellen M, Power J. Antipsychotic drugs in pregnancy: a review of their maternal and fetal effects. Therapeutic Advances in Drug Safety. 2014;5(2):100-109.<\/p>

Huybrechts KF, Hern\u00e1ndez-D\u00edaz S, Patorno E, et al. Antipsychotic Use in Pregnancy and the Risk for Congenital Malformations. JAMA Psychiatry. 2016;73(9):938. doi:10.1001\/jamapsychiatry.2016.1520<\/p>

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Psychosis and schizophrenia in adults: prevention and management [Internet]. London: NICE; 2014 [updated 2025 Jul 29; cited 2026 Aug 21]<\/p>

Montejo AL, de Alarc\u00f3n R, Prieto N, Acosta JM, Buch B, Montejo L. Management Strategies for Antipsychotic-Related Sexual Dysfunction: A Clinical Approach. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2021;10(2):308.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chapter 1 Women and Men Living With Schizophrenia:Understanding Emotional and Relational Differences This chapter invites you to follow a warm and open conversation about some of the sensitive aspects of living with schizophrenia, how the illness may affect women and men in similar or different ways, and how these differences can shape emotions, closeness, relationships, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-sod.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rea_page_title_signed_in_meta_block_field":"","rea_page_title_signed_out_meta_block_field":"","rea_page_description_signed_in_meta_block_field":"","rea_page_description_signed_out_meta_block_field":"","rea_page_footer_id_meta_block_field":"","rea_page_footer_date_meta_block_field":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-7405","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7405"}],"version-history":[{"count":37,"href":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7405\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8086,"href":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7405\/revisions\/8086"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}