Abstract Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness marked by hallucinations, delusions, reduced social drive, apathy, and cognitive impairment. Schizophrenia tends to develop in early adulthood and has a major impact on all aspects of functioning, including work, school, social relationships, and self-care. The illness is thought to have a biological basis that interacts with environmental and psychological factors, including stress, social support, and social competence and coping skills. Schizophrenia was once thought to be a progressively deteriorating disorder. However, more recent perspectives on schizophrenia focus on helping people define the meaning of recovery for themselves, to set personally meaningful goals, and to become active participants in their own treatment. A broad range of effective treatments exist for schizophrenia, including antipsychotic medications and psychosocial interventions such as supported employment, family psychoeducation, social skills training, and cognitive-behavioral therapy for psychosis. Although most people with schizophrenia experience some symptoms and impairments throughout their lives, recent treatment advances enable them to live rewarding, fulfilling lives, and to make a contribution to society.