Social Explanation - Sociocultural Factors

Question 1

Explain urbanicity…

Answer 1

Higher prevalence of schizophrenia in people living in urban areas

Robert Faris and Warren Dunham (1939) found a greater incidence of the disorder when comparing the more and less densely populated areas of Chicago

Lydia Krabbendam and Jim Van Os (2005) identified factors such as greater socioeconomic adversity, overcrowding, drug abuse, etc, in urban areas, which likely cause greater social stress

Question 2

Explain social isolation…

Answer 2

Individuals with schizophrenia tend to report rather solitary backgrounds, with Robert Faris (1934) suggesting that people with schizophrenia find contact with others to be stressful

Peter Jones et al (1994) conducted a longitudinal study of 5,362 people and found that those diagnosed with schizophrenia demonstrated solitary play preferences at ages 4 and 6, and at 13 were more likely to rate themselves as less socially confident

Social isolation prevents people from getting feedback about the appropriateness of their behaviour

Question 3

Explain ethnicity and discrimination…

Answer 3

Higher numbers of people of Afro-Caribbean descent are diagnosed with schizophrenia, with the additional stress of migrating to a different culture being suggested as a reason

Increased incidence found in all generations, indicating that discrimination in society and psychiatry are likely explanations