There has long been a hypothesis that some genes that increase a person's risk of developing schizophrenia must have some kind of beneficial effect, because schizophrenia occurs so often even though it is so devastating, and even though people with it have reduced fertility. One might expect it to mostly die out. One possible positive effect is increased creativity. As mentioned here, another is decreased risk of cancer.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100119121442.htm
ScienceDaily (Jan. 20, 2010) — People who inherit a specific form of a gene that puts them on a road to schizophrenia may be protected against some forms of cancer, according to a new study by scientists at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research.
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Such an association may help explain the family-based data that suggest that inheriting an enhanced risk for schizophrenia reduces one's chances of developing cancer.
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