A new study has noted a concerning surge in young people being diagnosed with psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia. Those born between 2000 and 2004 were estimated to be 70 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia than people born in the late 1970s. Schizophrenia is a chronic mental health condition characterised by psychotic episodes where individuals lose touch with reality, experiencing delusions and hallucinations. And last year, Sekai Miles, 23, beat 87-year-old grandfather Bernard Fowler to death with his own walking stick eight months after being discharged into the community by mental health services. Miles was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, a condition 'exacerbated' by his cannabis use.

Source: Daily Mail February 02, 2026 21:03 UTC