Abilities like holding a conversation, blocking out distractions and showing emotion seem like trivial tasks, but for people coping with schizophrenia, these everyday actions can be almost impossible.

Schizophrenia, a mental disorder that affects 6 percent of the population, occurs most frequently in people ages 16 to 25 and is affected by stress.

"The research shows that stressful conditions don"t really play a part in the origins of the disease, but any number of stressors can exacerbate the symptoms," said Counseling and Psychological Services interim Director Todd Sevig.

"This typically starts during the college years, so a lot of times we"ll see students at early stages of schizophrenia."

Symptoms, including paranoia, impairment of mental functions, delusional thoughts and a lack of enjoyment, are caused by a "split" in the brain between emotion and thinking.

"What is common and typical is to go through some symptoms, like delusion, hallucination and withdrawal, which cuts off the usual support system, making it even harder to ask for help," Sevig said.

Though research has found no direct link between the origins of the disease and environmental conditions, factors including stress and drug abuse can greatly worsen the symptoms.

"It"s not a death sentence, but it is the most serious mental disorder," said psychiatry Prof. Rajiv Tandon.

"Drugs don"t seem to cause schizophrenia, but they can adversely affect it," Tandon said. "Drug use can make the disease manifest earlier. It"s makes it more difficult to treat and relapse more probable. In adolescents with substance/alcohol abuse, early onset diagnosis can be impossible to differentiate."

The similarities between behaviors of drug abusers and schizophrenics is the reason people need to be assessed by an expert in schizophrenia before diagnosis. Acute symptoms must be present for at least a month, and behavioral symptoms, including poor self hygiene, isolation and unusual behavior must be present for six months prior to diagnosis.

"Schizophrenia is an illness that really affects awareness, so what makes it doubly hard to diagnose is people don"t realize something is wrong or don"t believe something is wrong," Sevig said. "Our usual ways of support don"t always work."

In hopes of improving living conditions for those affected with schizophrenia, health professionals are using a multi-dimensional approach to treatment, which includes support groups, medication, therapy and educational presentations for the general public.

Student groups on campus, like the nonprofit organization Mentality, are also trying to create a more understanding environment for peers with schizophrenia and other mental illnesses.

"Mental illness is so pervasive on campus, but nobody talks about it," said Anita Bohn, a staff member of the Office of Community Service Learning.

"The mission of Mentality is to erase the stigma around mental health issues and concentrate on awareness on campus."

Despite the severity of the disease, Sevig stressed that it is treatable.

"There are people all over the country who are going to college. There are success stories," he said.