L4- Causes Of MHP 2

Question 1

Define schizophrenia :

Answer 1

It is a long term condition which affects 1% of the worlds population.

It is not curable, but earlier diagnosis of this = less time for extreme impact to the individual

Question 2

What are the main types of schizophrenia ?

Answer 2

• paranoid (this is what 50% of schizophrenics are diagnosed with
• catatonic
• disorganised

Question 3

What are the positve and negative symptoms of schizophrenia ?

Answer 3

Positive symptoms=

• hearing voices
• hallucinations
• feeling sensations
• smelling and tasting
• delusions
• feelings of being controlled
• issues in communicating

Negative symptoms=

• flattened emotions
• tiredness
• absence of willpower or motivation
• poor memory and concentration
• inability to cope
• withdrawal from social activities

Question 4

What is the diagnostic criteria for being diagnosed with schizophrenia?

Answer 4

Two or more of the following for 1month plus of time:

• delusions 1
• hallucinations 2
• disorganised speech 3
• grossly disorganised
• negative symptoms
• have to have one, two or three to be diagnosed.
• onset of disturbance in functioning for a significant portion of time.

Question 5

What is the diathesis stress perspective of schizophrenia?

Answer 5

Where both biological and environmental factors influence schizophrenia

Question 6

What is the biological predisposition of the stress diathesis perspective of schizophrenia?

Answer 6

=genetic factors

• Specific genes in chromosomes 8,22, 2 ,3 ,5, 6, 11, 13, 20
• adoption studies, comparison of biologically similar children have been reared apart. Mothers who are schizophrenic, 16.6% of their children showed symptoms of psychosis.
• concordance studies. People with first degree relative diagnosis w schizophrenia are 10X more likely to be diagnosed.
• twin studies, fraternal 50% of genes= 12.8% diagnosed, identical share all DNA, 44% diagnosed.

=neurotransmitters
- more/ more sensitive receptors have been linked to schizophrenia diagnosis. Excess activity means more positive schizophrenia symptoms. Lots of evidence in favour, look at mind map.

Question 7

What are the environmental factors of the stress- diathesis perspective of schizophrenia.

Answer 7

-cognitive
= attentional processes; disorganised thought and communication is linked to reduced attention and performance in cognitive tasks.
-developmental
-social
-cognitive bias
= attribution bias; own negative events are externally attributed. Positive live event has an internal cause. Information processing biases; feelings caused by unusual experiences reinforce belief of threat.  Anxiety and depression cause bias towards negative thinking. Seek confirmatory evidence for persecutory interpretations. Isolation, trauma and other social factors add to feeling of threat. 
-socioeconomic status 
-family interactions

Question 8

What does development and social factors do to development of schizophrenia ?

Answer 8

Sociogenic hypothesis= low socioeconomic status associated with more life stressors, therefore more likely to trigger psychotic symptoms (NOT CAUSE)

Social labelling = self fulfilling prophecy after diagnostic.

Social selection theory=
Disorder causes poverty, unemployment and low se status.

Question 9

What is autism spectrum disorder?

Answer 9

A deficit in social communication.

Restrictive and repetitive behaviour in interests and activities

Pervasive symptoms which are present in early development = functional impairment which is not explained better by other disorders. (DIAGNOSIS)

Question 10

What are the causes of autistic spectrum disorder?

Answer 10

Genetic element=

• sibling reoccurrence rate 2-14% vs 0.05-0.2 prevalence.
• concordance in twins - 60%
• each symptom is highly inheritable
• no responsible gene has been found however.

Peri-natal risk factors=
-this might account for variability in symptoms.
-evidence in single case reports; during pregnancy. Infections, drugs in uterus, bleeding after 12 weeks.
After birth; infections, inflammatory bowel disease.

• ?
• atypical development. Larger brain size wit slower growth rate and post mortem studies in favour.
• cognitive factors=
• executive function deficits; during problem solving; controlling impulses and attention. Showed inhibiting inappropriate behaviours and irrelevant information. (Memory and attention etc)
• theory of mind deficits. Can understand the sally Anne/ false believe task. Cant understand other peoples behaviours