There are certain common illnesses that make people uncomfortable. Let’s be honest and say that there are some diseases that have more than their fair share of media coverage and financial and public support. This is not a criticism of the effort to increase public awareness. In fact, it is to be encouraged. But in the context of the impact of disease on our population, there are other diseases that have an even greater impact on the health, welfare and socioeconomic status of people.

Schizophrenia is one such disease, often misunderstood and erroneously described and portrayed in the media by politicians and in casual conversation as split personality. It is time to reverse the disservice this description causes for people who suffer from schizophrenia.

• Dr. Alain Labelle, (MD) Director of the Schizophrenia Program at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Ottawa