How does having a parent with schizophrenia affect a child’s likelihood of developing schizophrenia?

Having a parent with schizophrenia significantly increases a child's risk of developing the disorder. While the risk for the general population is approximately 1 percent, children with one parent who has schizophrenia face a risk of about 12 percent—at least 10 times higher than the general population.1

If both parents have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, the probability of their children developing the disorder increases substantially, ranging from 35 to 65 percent. These statistics highlight the clear role of genetic factors in the causation of the disorder. However, researchers emphasize that the development of mental disorders is complex and typically arises from an interaction between biological predispositions and various environmental factors, rather than a single cause.12