EXPLANATION 2: PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACH/SCHIZOPHRENOGENIC MOTHER - EVALUATION AO3

Question 1

SUPPORTING EVIDENCE:

Answer 1

ALTHOUGH THE PSYCHODYNAMIC EXPLANATION HAS SEVERAL FLAWS, IT HAS BEEN IMPORTANT IN HIGHLIGHTING HOW CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES CAN INFLUENCE SCHIZOPHRENIA. SEVERAL MORE ESTABLISHED THEORIES HAVE DEVELOPED BECAUSE OF FREUDIAN IDEAS. FOR EXAMPLE, THERE IS EMPHASIS ON DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY DYNAMICS AND HOW THIS COULD CAUSE RELAPSES IN SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTS.

Question 2

WEAKENING EVIDENCE:
STRUPP ET AL

Answer 2

1. STRUPP ET AL (1977) FOUND THAT PSYCHOANALYSIS THERAPIES CAN LEAD TO HARMFUL RATHER THAN BENEFICIAL EFFECTS IN THOSE WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA.
2. THIS MAY BE BECAUSE PSYCHOANALYTIC TECHNIQUES OFTEN REQUIRE THE PATIENT WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA TO EXPERIENCE MEMORIES AND INSIGHTS THAT THEY ARE EMOTIONALLY INCAPABLE OF DEALING WITH AND TRYING TO DO SO IS DISTRESSING FOR THE PATIENT.

Question 3

WEAKENING EVIDENCE:
JACOB KASANIN ET AL

Answer 3

INCONSISTENT SUPPORT FOR SCHIZOPHRENOGENIC MOTHERS: 1. 1. ALTHOUGH THE IDEA OF THE SCHIZOPHRENOGENIC MOTHER WAS QUITE A POPULAR CONCEPT FROM THE 1940S TO 1970S (IT WAS THE FOCUS OF MUCH PSYCHIATRIC LITERATURE), THE RESEARCH BASE ON WHICH IT RESIDES IS, AT BEST, TENUOUS (VERY WEAK).
2. EARLY RESEARCH INCLUDED ONE STUDY BY JACOB KASANIN ET AL (1934). HE EXAMINED HOSPITAL CASE RECORDS AND REPORTED THAT HE FOUND EVIDENCE OF MATERNAL OVERPROTECTION IN 33 OUT OF 45 CASES OF SCHIZOPHRENIA. THIS MEANS THAT ALMOST A THIRD OF THE CASES DIDN’T HAVE AN OVERPROTECTIVE MOTHER, MAKING IT RATHER UNCONVINCING EVIDENCE.

Question 4

WEAKENING EVIDENCE:

Answer 4

1. FREUDIAN CONCEPTS ARE OUT OF DATE: IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY, PSYCHOLOGY WAS DOMINATED BY PSYCHODYNAMIC EXPLANATIONS. HOWEVER, AS THE CENTURY PROGRESSED, PSYCHOLOGISTS BECAME DISSATISFIED WITH THE UNSCIENTIFIC, UNFALSIFIABLE NATURE OF PSYCHODYNAMIC CONCEPTS.
2. THE PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACH HAS DIFFICULTY PRODUCING TESTABLE HYPOTHESIS, WHICH HAS MEANT THAT THE EXPLANATION IT OFFERS FOR DISORDERS LIKE SCHIZOPHRENIA IS NOW VIEWED AS BEING LITTLE MORE THAN AN INTERESTING HISTORICAL FOOTNOTE.

Question 5

WEAKENING EVIDENCE:

Answer 5

FAILURE TO PRODUCE AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT:
FROM THE START, FREUD BELIEVED THAT INDIVIDUALS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA WERE NOT SUITABLE CANDIDATES FOR PSYCHOANALYSIS, AS MANY INDIVIDUALS WITH
SCHIZOPHRENIA LACKED THE INSIGHT NECESSARY FOR THIS TALKING TREATMENT.

Question 6

WEAKENING EVIDENCE:

Answer 6

1. ULTIMATELY THIS SUGGESTS THAT IF AN EFFECTIVE THERAPY CANNOT BE ESTABLISHED FROM THE THEORY, THEN THE UNDERLYING PRINCIPLE OF THE EXPLANATION HAS NO MERIT.
2. IN ADDITION, THE DEVELOPMENT OF EFFECTIVE ANTIPSYCHOTIC DRUGS IN THE 1950S AND 1960S GAVE THE BIOLOGICAL VIEW OF SCHIZOPHRENIA A BOOST FROM WHICH
   THE PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES HAVE NEVER REALLY RECOVERED. 3. THE APPARENT FAILURE OF PSYCHODYNAMIC THERAPIES SUCCESSFULLY TO TREAT PSYCHOTIC PATIENTS LED TO THE ABANDONMENT OF THIS APPROACH BY ALL BUT THE MOST COMMITTED PSYCHODYNAMICS.