psychological explanations to schizophrenia: family dysfunction Flashcards
what is family dysfunction
emotional, psychological and physical trauma that occurs in early childhood resulting in increased stress levels
who proposed a psychodynamic explanation of the schizophrenogenic mother
Fromm-Reichmann
what is a schizophrenogenic mother
cold, self sacrifycing and controlling. Creates a family climate of tension and secrecy.
how can a schizophrenogenic mother lead to symptoms of schizophrenia
distrust, resentfulness and instability is caused by such parenting which can induce a schizophrenic reaction eg. developing paranoid delusions.
What data did Fromm-Reichmann use to develop her theory
interviews and accounts from her schizophrenic patients about their childhoods. Many talked about a particular type of parent - the schizophrenogenic mother.
what is an issue with cause and effect relating to the theory of the schizophrenogenic mother (AO3)
in reality there is only a small % of women that arguably fit the criteria of a schizophrenogenic mother that actually produced schizophrenic children. Many schizophrenics are found to have mothers that did not fit the criteria. Therefore there must be other factors such as biology that are important in explaining schizophrenia. Therefore the theory has been critisiced for hindering progress in psychiatry and understanding of this complex disorder
what is an issue with the reliability and validity of research investigating family dysfunction (AO3)
The data is generated from interviews with the family and schizophrenic patients. Retrospective data is open to bias and distortion of memory. Unlikely family members will be fully honest about their communication as it is difficult to acknowledge they may be partly responsible for the onset of schizophrenia. Therefore unlikely much of the data is truthful and objective.
who proposed the double bind theory
Bateson et al
what does the double bind theory involve + example.
children who often get conflicting messages from their parents are more likely to develop schizophrenia. For example, a mother who loves her child but has trouble expressing it may exhibit contradictory behaviours (e.g. hugging the child but being critical with her words).
how does the double bind theory suggest symptoms of schizophrenia come about?
Constant exposure to mixed messages and impossible demands mean the child is unable to form a coherent picture of reality, self doubt and distrust in own thinking is internalised. This leads to disorganised thinking which in extreme cases can manifest as symptoms of schizophrenia such as delusions and hallucinations.
what is expressed emotion
the level of emotion (in particular negative emotion) expressed towards a patient with schizophrenia by their carers, often family members.
what are 3 elements of expressed emotion
verbal criticism
Hostility eg. rejection and anger
and emotional overinvolvment in life of patient (or can be opposite and no emotional support)
EE has primarily an explanation for relapse rates in patient w/ schizophrenia, however it has been suggested as a potential cause. Outline how EE is implicated in both scenarios.
cause: person internalises criticism and hostility, increases stress levels which could trigger schizophrenia in those with a vulnerability.
relapse: high levels of expressed emotion increase the stress levels in the patient which increases the likelihood of relapse.
what research supports a link between high levels of expressed emotion and relapse rates. (AO3)
Brown found that 58% of patients with schizophrenia returned back to the hospital if released to a high expressed emotion family, this is compared to only 10% of patients returned when released to a low expressed emotion family. This shows that EE and family relationships can affect the degree of recovery rates.
what is an issue with causation and expressed emotion (AO3)
it is unclear whether high expressed emotion levels is a causal agent in the relapse rates or whether it is the difficult behaviour of the patient that influences the families behaviour patterns rather than the other way round. difficult to identify cause and effect
