Family Dysfunction Explanations of Schizophrenia Flashcards
What are the psychological explanations of schizophrenia?
-Double bind theory
-Expressed emotion
what does family dysfunction explain?
-that symptoms are a result of problematic communication patterns and relationships within a family.
-A challenging family, environment can make an individual vulnerable to developing the disorder
What does double-bind communication involve?
contradictory verbal or non-verbal messages being expressed, usually by a parent towards a child- the child may consequently feel trapped because they fear that by responding to one of the messages they will fail to act on the other
what can double-bind communication patterns do?
-prevent the development of an internally coherent construction of reality because the world doesn’t seem to make sense and in the long-term can lead to typically negative symptoms of schizophrenia such as flat affect (lack of a normal range of feelings and behaviours), disorganised thinking and avolition in order to escape double-bind situations.
What is an example of double-bind communication?
a child says something embarrassing during a family meal and their parent shouts, “You never know how to act properly around other people. Go to your room!”
-This could cause internal conflict because the child cannot improve their social skills whilst confined to their room.
-They display the schizophrenic symptom of social withdrawal to try to avoid such situations in future because for fear of saying something wrong.
What does EE involve?
involves member of a family interacting with a schizophrenic relative in a negative manner
What may EE involve?
•Verbal criticism of the patient
• Hostility towards the patient, including anger and rejection
• Over-involvement in the patient’s life
What are high levels of EE often a reason for?
relapse because when patients return to their family after a course of therapy it is difficult for them to escape the negative emotional environment
What can high levels of EE be a source of and what can this lead to?
source of stress for the individual because schizophrenics often have a lower tolerance for intense environmental stimuli and impaired coping mechanisms.
- can lead to decreased self-esteem and avolition because they are made to feel worthless and have an over-dependence on others because they are given little freedom to live their own life.
