Dr. Dost Öngür and Oprah Winfrey Talk Schizophrenia

Available with English captions and subtitles in Hindi and Spanish.

Oprah invited Dr. Dost Öngür to talk about schizophrenia as part of a discussion of Hidden Valley Road, the latest book in Oprah’s Book Club.

Watch their talk on demand.

What Is Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental health disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. People with schizophrenia may seem like they have lost touch with reality and can experience hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking. Although schizophrenia is not as common as other mental illnesses, the symptoms can be very disabling. With treatment, often including medications and coping skills, it is possible to live well this condition.

According to NAMI, schizophrenia affects about 1% of Americans. The average age of onset tends to be in the late teens to the early 20s for men, and the late 20s to early 30s for women. It is uncommon for schizophrenia to be diagnosed in a person younger than 12 or older than 40.

Learn more about schizophrenia.

About Dr. Öngür

A native of Istanbul, Turkey, Dost Öngür, MD, PhD, has a background in neuroscience and clinical psychiatry. He is currently the chief of the Division of Psychotic Disorders, responsible for two inpatient units, a residential facility, and a specialty outpatient clinic. In addition to his clinical work, he receives funding from the National Institute of Mental Health and other sources for his research using brain imaging techniques to study chemical abnormalities in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Dr. Öngür is the William P. and Henry B. Test Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the author of more than 180 articles on research into the neurobiology of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. He has won awards from Harvard Medical School for his teaching of medical students and residents and for mentoring, and also serves as the editor of JAMA Psychiatry, a premier journal in the field.