Psychological Explanations Of Schizophrenia: Family Dysfunction

Question 1

What is Family Dysfunction (in terms of schizophrenia)?

Answer 1

High levels of conflict or difficulties communicating within families, which can influence the development of schizophrenia

Question 2

What did Bateson et al propose?

Answer 2

The double blind explanation of schizophrenia

Question 3

What does the ‘double bind’ explanation of schizophrenia say?

Answer 3

Children who often get conflicting messages from their parents are more likely to develop schizophrenia

Question 4

According to the double bind explanation, why can conflicting messages cause schizophrenia?

Answer 4

Constant exposure to mixed messages means the child is unable to form a coherent picture of reality - can lead to disorganised thinking (incl. delusions & hallucinations)

Question 5

What did Fromm-Reichman propose?

Answer 5

The idea of a schizophrenogenic mother

Question 6

What is a schizophrenogenic mother?

Answer 6

A mother who is characterised as being cold and rejecting, which means that the family climate is tense and lacking honesty - leads to dev. of paranoia & anxiety

Question 7

What is another familial explanation of schizophrenia? (EE)

Answer 7

Expressed Emotion

Question 8

Explain ‘expressed emotion’ in terms of schizophrenia?

Answer 8

An environment with a high degree of expressed emotion - particularly negative, such as criticism & hostility - causes stress, which increases the risk of schizophrenia. Expressed emotion is mostly associated with relapse in schizophrenic patients.

Question 9

What is a strength of research into expressed emotion?

Answer 9

Practical application - Hogarty (1991) produced type of therapy session which reduced social conflicts between parents and children - reducing EE, thus reducing relapse rates - insight into fam. rships helps improve quality of patients’ lives

Question 10

What was Tiernari et al’s (2004) study and how does it support family dysfunction explanation?

Answer 10

Found that level of schizophrenia diagnosed in adopted children of schizophrenic mothers was 5.8% for those adopted into healthy family environments and 36.8% for those children raised in dysfunctional families - supports fam dysfunction expl.