Psychological explanations for schizophrenia Flashcards
what is a schizophrenogenic mother?
- Cold
- Rejecting
- Controlling,
- This created a family environment characterised by Tension
and Secrecy
how can having schizophrenogenic mother lead to SZ ?
This leads to distrust that later develops into paranoid delusions (i.e. beliefs of being persecuted by another person), and ultimately schizophrenia.
who came up with the double bind theory?
Bateson et al. (1972)
- agreed family climate plays an important part
- emphasised communication style in families
what is the double bind theory?
- Fear doing the wrong thing
- Mixed messages about what is wrong
- Unable to comment on the unfairness or seek clarification.
- Child is punished by withdrawal of love. (conditional)
- Children thinks world is Confusing and Dangerous = disorganised thinking and paranoid delusions.
what is expressed emotion?
the level of (negative) emotion,
expressed towards a person with schizophrenia by their carers who are often family members
what are the factors of Expressed emotion?
- Verbal criticism of the person, occasionally accompanied by violence.
- Hostility towards the person, including anger and rejection.
- Emotional overinvolvement in the life of the person, including needless
self-sacrifice.
how can expressed emotion lead to SZ?
- causes extreme levels of stress for people with schizophrenia > can lead to relapse
- source of stress that can trigger the onset of schizophrenia in a
person who is already vulnerable
what is research supporting family dysfunction?
p: One strength of the psychological explanation is evidence linking family dysfunction to schizophrenia.
EE: Indicators of family dysfunction include insecure attachment and exposure to childhood trauma, especially abuse.
According to a review by Read et al. (2005) adults with schizophrenia are
disproportionately likely to have insecure attachment, particularly Type C or D.
Read et al. also reported that 69% of women and 59% of men with
schizophrenia have a history of physical and/or sexual abuse.
In the Morkved et al. (2017) study, most adults with schizophrenia reported at least one childhood trauma, mostly abuse.
L: This strongly suggests that family dysfunction makes people more vulnerable to schizophrenia.
what is a limitation of lack of support for SM + DB
P: One limitation of family explanations is the poor evidence base for any of the explanations.
EE: Although there is plenty of evidence supporting the idea that
childhood family-based stress is associated with adult schizophrenia,
there is almost none to support the importance of traditional family-
based theories such as the schizophrenogenic mother and double bind.
Both these theories are based on clinical observation of people with
schizophrenia and also informal assessment of their mothers’
personalities, but not systematic evidence.
L: This means that family explanations have not been able to account for the link between childhood trauma and schizophrenia.
why is family dysfunction as explanation for SZ socially sensitive?
P: One limitation of family dysfunction research is that it is socially sensitive.
EE: Research in this area may be useful in showing that insecure attachment leads to vulnerability to schizophrenia, and links between family dysfunction and schizophrenia.
On the other hand, this is highly socially sensitive because it can lead to parent-blaming.
For parents already having to watch their child experience symptoms of
schizophrenia and take responsibility for their care, to be blamed for this, is insulting.
L: A psychological theory should not cause harm to people, and theories like the schizophrenogenic mother and double bind have done harm.
