Schizophrenia- social psychological explanations

Question 1

What are the 2 social psychological explanations of SZ

Answer 1

1- Dysfunctional families
2- Socio-cultural factors

Question 2

What is my FIRST choice social psychological explanation for SZ?

Answer 2

Dysfunctional families

Question 3

What are the 2 key aspects of dysfunctional families?

Answer 3

1- Double bind theory
2- Expressed emotion

Question 4

What is double bind theory?

Answer 4

explain SZ as being a consequence of abnormal and inadequate patterns of communication within the families of Zs

Question 5

What does BATESON say about double bind theory?

Answer 5

Families of SZ communicate in a destructively ambiguous fashion
- if a child is repeatedly exposed to this sort of communication, they become unable to respond logically to others

Question 6

Paralinguistic and double bind statements

Answer 6

Tone of voice, racial expressions that run alongside communication, become able to respond logically to others
- may not match with the words said by parents

Question 7

How does double bind statements confuse the child?

Answer 7

Getting 2 separate messages, contradict each other, causes conflict
- whether they ignore or respond they cannot win
- they are in a double bind

Question 8

How does Bateson argue DBS lead to SZ?

Answer 8

Hallucination and delusions- means of escaping conflict
Negative symptoms (avolition, anhedonia)- withdrawal due to confusion

Question 9

What is expressed emotion?

Answer 9

A family communication style, indicates emotional over-involvement and concern
- explanation for relapse
- causal for someone who is already vulnerable

Question 10

What is Brown find about expressed emotion?

Answer 10

Investigated SZ patients after they had been discharged from a mental health facility and found those returning to homes with high levels of expressed emotion were more likely of relapse

Question 11

What is Butzlaff and Hooley find about expressed emotion?

Answer 11

Reviewed over 200 studies of EE
- found that 70% of SZs in families with high EE relapsed within a year
- compared with 30% relapse rate of patients from families with low levels of EE

Question 12

What 5 component of EE did Brown identify?

Answer 12

1- Critical comments
2- Hostility
3- Emotional over-involvement
4- Warmth
5- Positive regard

Question 13

HIGH EE

Answer 13

Critical comments
- low acknowledged behaviour was due to illness not ‘they so lazy’
Hostility
- unmanageable anger, irritation and rejection of patient
Emotional over-involvement
- excessive self-sacrifice, overprotective, felt guilty, reparative efforts

Question 14

LOW EE

Answer 14

Warmth
- empathy expressed
Positive regard
- reinforcing statement which caregiver express support and appreciation of SZ individual

Question 15

Evaluation: Dysfunctional families
Research support

Answer 15

Role of DB statements
Berger- (I) SZ reported higher rate of recall of DBS by mothers than non-SZs
X methodology, accuracy of recall, lack validity, positive symptoms
X if R flawed, must remain critical

Question 16

Evaluation: Dysfunctional families
Practical applications

Answer 16

Understand dynamics f communications has led to family therapy
- improve communication, reduce DBS, EE, relapse
- reduce expressions of anger and guilt, stress/burden on relatives, encourage them to set appropriate limits
- useful as successfully applied

Question 17

Evaluation: Dysfunctional families
X Cause and effect

Answer 17

Not all R has fund a significant difference in the quality of communications within SZ families
LIEM- communications no more disordered in parent with SZ or not 11
X differences in parental communication may be detecting parents having to adapt their communication styles as a result of having an SZ child
X DB theory based on potentially the effect of SZ not the root cause of it, reducing validity of the exp at explaining root origin of SZ

Question 18

What is the second social psychological explanation of SZ?

Answer 18

Socio cultural factors

Question 19

How is sociocultural factors split?

Answer 19

1- Urbanicity
2- Social isolation
3- Ethnicity

Question 20

Urbanicity

Answer 20

Rate of SZ in urban areas is much higher than rural areas

Question 21

What did Faris and Dunham find about urbanicity?

Answer 21

Incidences of SZ were higher in the densely populated centre of Chicago compared to less densely populated suburbs surrounding the city

Question 22

How has urbanicity affected lifestyle changes over time?

Answer 22

Human population lived rural lifestyle- agriculture etc
- unprecedented urban growth
- 70% of world populated will be urban by 2050
Urban living does not suit the evolutionary traits of humans (hunter-gatherers)
- explains higher rates of MH disorders in comparison to rural areas

Question 23

What specific environmental features of urban life to Krabbendam and Van Os identify in relation to the development of SZ?

Answer 23

• increased socioeconomic adversity/poverty in urban areas could contribute to a stressful home life for families
• higher levels of drug or substance abuse
• overcrowding
• pollution, exposure to toxins
  Overall, factors that cause greater social stress may be a causal factor of SZ

Question 24

Social isolation

Answer 24

SZs are often very socially isolated from others
- few friends, estranged from family, more likely to live alone

Question 25

How might lack of social interaction link to symptoms of SZ?

Answer 25

- don't get feedback on inappropriate thoughts n behaviours - lack of corrective feedback allows SZ to nurture inappropriate ways of thinking and behaving so strange B can flourish unchecked - strong social network=more likely to receive help

Question 26

What does Faris say about social isolation?

Answer 26

SZ may find interaction with others to be stressful and confusing so they may retreat and withdraw from society - combination of urbanicity and overcrowding can lead to social isolation

Question 27

What did Jones do and find in relation to social isolation?

Answer 27

Longitudinal study, prospective - individuals diagnosed with SZ were more likely to: > show solitary paly at age 4-6 > 13- more likely to rate themselves as less socially confident

Question 28

Ethnicity

Answer 28

SZ much more prevalent in immigrants, Afro-Caribbean descent

Question 29

What does Ineichen say about ethnicity?

Answer 29

Since 1970s, rates of diagnosis for AC people were higher than expected - higher rates of compulsory admission to psychiatric facilities as apposed to voluntary admission

Question 30

What do Cochrane and Sashidharan say about ethnicity?

Answer 30

AC immigrant are 7X more likely to be diagnosed with SZ than white people

Question 31

Ethnicity explanation cannot be genetic

Answer 31

Increased risk is nor apparent in studies carried out in the Caribbean - higher rate of SZ in the immigrant community may be due to increased stress being caused by being an immigrant or an ethnic minority

Question 32

How can this idea be contested? - Ethnicity cannot be genetic

Answer 32

Discrimination In society- social isolation, urbanicity more likely In psychiatry- dominated by white males, lead to discrimination in diagnosis

Question 33

Evaluation: Sociocultural factors Research support

Answer 33

Jones 4-6 solitary play, 13 less socially confident - longitudinal and prospective - establish cause and effect - social isolation started before SZ SI has a role in development of SZ

Question 34

Evaluation: Sociocultural factors Practical applications

Answer 34

R into SI, suggests solitary play could be an indicator of onset SZ later in life, put early intervention in place - increase socialisation by encouraging social interaction with other children through play therapy - increase confidence and reduce SI Useful exp, created preventative measures

Question 35

Evaluation: Sociocultural factors X Cause or effect

Answer 35

Living in urban environment leads to greater risk of SZ or does SZ mean you're more likely to live in an urban area - smaller social circles, hard to make friends, does having SI cause SZ or does having SZ make individual isolated THE SOCIAL DRIFT HYPOTHESIS - hard to maintain employment, move to inner cities, deprived areas- C or E X cannot be definite that living in an urban environment is a cause of SZ it may be an effect