Schizophrenia is a major mental illness as well as a major health problem worldwide, afflicting approximately 1–2 per cent of every nation’s population, and requiring immediate and definite medical attention.

It may be defined as a functional psychoses characterized by disturbances in thinking and profound disorganization of behavior. While describing a psychoses, most lay people would probably use the word “Mad” or “Insane”, for this is the way the bizarre behavior of a psychotic would be perceived.

For both the patient and the family, this is a very painful illness. For the family it is the pain of seeing a loved one slowly loose touch with reality. Therefore, it becomes necessary to provide a platform for such people family and patients, to come together and voice their grievances, meet others with similar problems and derive the much needed moral support. Here are three support group systems wherein a person can get the requisite information and services needed to cope with schizophrenia.