Schizophrenia: The Social Causation Hypothesis

Question 1

Describe what the social causation hypothesis states about the cause of schizophrenia.

Answer 1

That it is caused through the relationship of urban living and only acts as a trigger for symptoms instead of a direct cause.

Question 2

State 4 potential factors that may affect development of schizophrenia according to the social causation hypothesis.

Answer 2

1) social adversity (low social class)
2) urbanisation (more environmental stresses)
3) social isolation (prevents people from getting corrective feedback from their environment about what should be acceptable)
4) minority status (lack of access to education, work and housing. Also more discrimination)

Question 3

What is the justification for ethnic minorities to be more at risk of developing schizophrenia when it is not down to genetics?

Answer 3

Immigrant population tend to be disadvantaged with regard to educational attainment, social class, discrimination, and standard of living.

Question 4

What is the baseline measure for risk of schizophrenia?

Answer 4

In a rural environment, which is given a value of 1.

Question 5

What does going above/below the baseline measure involve and what implications does this have for risk of schizophrenia?

Answer 5

Any other environment that has a value higher than 1 increases risk of developing schizophrenia whilst having anything lower than 1 lowers risk.

Question 6

List 3 factors the social causation hypothesis uses to determine risk of schizophrenia.

Answer 6

1) Social class
2) Social adversity
3) Immigrant population

Question 7

Describe social class as a factor of developing schizophrenia.

Answer 7

• People who are in lower socio-economic groups have higher incidences of schizophrenia
• 4/1000 developing the mental disorder which is higher than the general 1% of the population
• This could be due to receiving different standards of health care or having poorer living conditions increasing stress

Question 8

Name a piece of research that supports the idea of social class playing a role in developing schizophrenia.

Answer 8

P - Cooper (2005) supports social class as a factor
E - He found that the rate of schizophrenia in unskilled labour workers was 4.1x higher than higher managerial workers
E - This therefore supports the idea that coming from a lower class increases risk of developing schizophrenia

Question 9

Describe social adversity as a factor of developing schizophrenia.

Answer 9

• Social adversity during childhood is linked to an increased risk of developing schizophrenia
• This is especially true in cases of children who come from a lower socio-economic background whereby pressures of life are more intense and immediate
• This could be due to stress from the adversity triggering disorder

Question 10

Name a piece of research that supports the idea of social adversity playing a role in developing schizophrenia.

Answer 10

P - Hjem et al (2004) supports social adversity as a factor
E - He found that social adversity in childhood relates to the development of schizophrenia later in life
E - Therefore demonstrating that social adversity could be a factor leading to development of schizophrenia

Question 11

Describe the immigrant population as a factor of developing schizophrenia.

Answer 11

• Higher incidences of schizophrenia have been found in African-Caribbeans and black immigrants
• This is due to these minorities being more disadvantaged in education and the workplace that can lead to unemployment or poor living conditions that enhances stress

Question 12

Name a piece of research that supports the idea of the immigrant population playing a role in developing schizophrenia.

Answer 12

P - Fearon et al (2004) supports the immigrant population as a factor
E - Found that there are 4x more incidences of schizophrenia in black immigrants than in the white population
E - Therefore demonstrating that the immigrant population are more at risk of developing schizophrenia

Question 13

Using the acronym ‘EACH’, evaluate 2 ‘evidence’ points.

Answer 13

P - Kirkbride (2007) supports the social causation hypothesis
E - Found in a study in London that deprivation, population density, and inequality were 3 factors that increase risk of schizophrenia by 4% compared to places where those factors weren’t so prevalent
E - Therefore supporting the idea that stress from the environment that may lead to schizophrenia
P - Veling et al (2008) supports the immigrant population as a factor for developing schizophrenia
E - He found more incidences of schizophrenia in people living where their ethnic group is a minority compared with places where it was not
E - Therefore supporting the hypothesis that ethnic minorities having less opportunities can cause schizophrenia

Question 14

Using the acronym ‘EACH’, evaluate a rejecting ‘evidence’ point.

Answer 14

P - Kirkbride (2012) rejects the immigrant population as a factor contributing to development of schizophrenia
E - Found that rates of schizophrenia were lower for Afro-Caribbeans when they lived in ethnically-integrated neighbourhoods
E - This shows that it’s not just all ethnic minorities that are at higher risk of developing the disorder

Question 15

Using the acronym ‘EACH’, evaluate 2 ‘how’ points.

Answer 15

P - Evidence from research is not valid
E - Due to being difficult to determine whether social factors actually cause schizophrenia or whether they are in fact a result of the disorder
E - This therefore lacks validity as data is only correlational
P - Hjem et al (2000) carried out his experiment in Sweden
E - There is easier access and higher quantities of medical records and patient history in this country
E - This therefore makes findings and data more reliable due to consistency of finding what is needed for the study

Question 16

Are there any applications?

Answer 16

P - Yes
E - This theory states that social factors cause symptoms of schizophrenia which means that treatments can be put in place in urban areas to aid the stress that sufferers may feel due to their environment and circumstance
E - This would therefore help to reduce incidences in high density places to improve community

Question 17

Using the acronym ‘EACH’, evaluate 2 ‘criticisms’ points.

Answer 17

P - Not an explanation for cause
E - The social causation hypothesis only states that social factors contribute to symptoms and development of schizophrenai
E - Therefore it does not attempt to explain the origins of the disorder and so cannot be used as a theory by itself, reducing credibility
P - Social drift hypothesis as an alternative theory
E - It states that those who develop schizophrenia are more likely to lose their jobs and cause reduced social status
E - This refutes social causation hypothesis as instead of low social status causing schizophrenia, it states the opposite