Psychological explanation for Schizophrenia (family dysfunction)

Question 1

What are the 3 psychological explanations for Sz

Answer 1

• the schizophrenogenic mother
• double- bind theory
• expressed emotion

Question 2

The schizophrenogenic mother A01

Answer 2

Fromm- Reichmann 1948
- psychodynamic explanation based on accounts of patients childhoods
- mother is cold, rejecting and controlling
-family climate: tension and secrecy
- leads to distrust: develops into symptoms of Sz

Temporal validity?- 1948 mother spent lot of time- now dad could be problem too

Question 3

Schizophrenogenic mother a03- strengths

Answer 3

• read et al: adults with Sz likely to have insecure attachment, history of physical/ sexual abuse
• Mednick- 207 high risk sz kids
  - control group of 107
  - no mothers had sz or kids
  - after 10 years, 17 high risk developed sz, 1 of control did

Question 4

The schizophrenogenic mother A03- weaknesses

Answer 4

• socially sensitive
  -blame mothers
  - can be upsetting

Question 5

Double- bind theory AO1

Answer 5

Bateson et al
- receive contradictory messages from parents more likely to develop sz
Eg. Affection on verbal level
Eg. Animosity on non-verbal level

• child’s ability to respond to parent is harmed bc message invalidate the other
• prevent development of internally coherent construction of reality
• leads to sz symptoms (disorganised thinking)

Question 6

Double bind theory- A03 strengths and weaknesses

Answer 6

Strength: evidence to support: Berger Sz recalled
higher double bind statements by mother than non sz

BUT- recall can be affected by Sz: not reliable
Weaknesses - socially sensitive

Question 7

Expressed emotion-A01: why people relapse

Answer 7

• high degree of expressed emotions can trigger onset of sz
• its a family communication style in which family talk about sz patient in critical or hostile manner (over-involvement)
  E.g. over-protective too much time interfering
• Linszen- a patient returning to high EE family relapse 4x more likely than low in EE

Question 8

Expressed emotions- A03 strengths:

Answer 8

-family therapy improving communication btwn family members has proven successful in reducing relapse rates

• Kavanagh- 26 studies : relapse rate high EE 46% but low EE families 21%

Question 9

Expressed emotions- A03 weaknesses:

Answer 9

-Hall and levin found no difference in extent of discrepancy in communication with Sz member and non- Sz members

• individual differences in stress response to high EE- like behaviours, not all patients who live in EE families relapse and not all who don’t live in EE wont relapse

Question 10

Family dysfunction definition:

Answer 10

• any form of abnormal processes within a family eg. Conflict, communication problems, critical, control