Schizophrenia- Social Psychological Explanations

Question 1

Dysfunctional Families

Answer 1

Characteristics: Interpersonal Conflicts, Difficulty in communication, Excessive critique and control

Question 2

Double Bind

Answer 2

• Double Bind- The theory is that the ‘victim’- the person who becomes unwell- finds themselves trapped in a communicational matrix, in which messages contradict each other.
• Primary bind- Two incompatible intentions

‘Making a decision between one thing and another thing, and choosing either one will bring a consequence you don’t want to experience. By not making any decision at all, that will make a negative consequence’. -Trapped at all angles.
•These contradictory messages undermine the child’s ability to respond
•Furthermore, as the child is so reliant on the parent, they are unable to make communication
•The child cannot comment on the fact that contradictory messages have been used

Question 3

How does it contribute to schizophrenia?

Answer 3

• Break from reality
• Disorganised thinking
• Create their own hallucinations to tackle double bind
• Onset of negative symptoms Flat effect, Escape from emotional turmoil

Bateson said that the double bind is a risk of factor not a cause of Schizophrenia

Question 4

Expressed Emotion

Answer 4

Expressed Emotion
Relapse  Return of SZ
CHEWP- Critical comments, Hostility, Emotional over-involvement, Warmth, Positive regard

Question 5

How does it contribute to schizophrenia?

Answer 5

Cause child to withdraw into themselves. When they do not receive this expressed emotion, positive reinforcement occurs. They repeat the behaviour, and this develops into the negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
Families that persistently exhibit criticism and hostility- This exerts a negative influence particularly upon recovering SZs.
Vaugh and Leff (1976) Relapse rates of 51% in high are households compared to 13% in low EE households
Amount of time spent face to face correlated with severity of symptoms

Question 6

Cultural Norms

Answer 6

Urbanicity
•Humans did not evolve to live in densely populated urban areas.
•It may be possible that this move towards urban living could account for some of the mental illness that we observe in these areas.
Faris & Dunham (1939)
•In Chicago they found that there was a higher incidence of SZ in the densely populated centre of the city rather than in the less densely populated suburbs
•They also found that the highest levels of SZ were in the areas that had a high level of ethnic conflict and a high degree of social mobility
Krabbendam and Van Os (2005)
•Features of urban life that could be responsible for an increased incidence of SZ
•Greater social stress of living in densely populated areas
•Environmental pollution
•Overcrowding
•Drug abuse
•Socioeconomic adversity

Question 7

Social Isolation

Answer 7

•SZs are often very socially isolated from others.
•It may be that the SZ struggles to communicate with others, and their behaviour may prove confusing, making it difficult to form close relationships.
•The isolation may also be self-imposed. The SZ may find interaction with others to be stressful, and so they may retreat and withdraw from society.
Jones et al (1994)
•Longitudinal study of 5k+ born in a specific week in March 1946
•Data was gathered prospectively (intended for the future)
•Between the ages of 16 and 43, 30 cases of SZ were diagnosed
•Researchers found that SZ individuals were more likely to show solitary play preference at 4-6 years old
•At 13 years old were more likely to rate themselves as less socially confident
•This all suggests that social isolation starts early.

Question 8

Ethnicity & Discrimination

Answer 8

•There is also a higher number is cases of schizophrenia in individual of Afro-Caribbean decent. However, this increased risk cannot be due to genetics as it is not present in studies carried out in the Caribbean such as that of Mahy et al.

• What causes the increased risk in individuals of Afro-Caribbean decent?
• It has been suggested that this increased risk may be die to the stress of migration or cultural pressures. However, research showing that there are higher rates of schizophrenia in the children of Afro-Caribbean migrants suggests that discrimination in society and psychiatry may also be a cause of the increased risk.