Psychological Explanations

• Family dysfunction

  Psychologists have attempted to link schizophrenia to childhood and adult experiences of living in a dysfunctional family
• The schizophrenogenic mother

  Psychiatrist Frieda Fromm-Reichman (1948) proposed a psychodynamic explanation for schizophrenia based on the accounts she heard from her patients about their childhoods.
• The schizophrenogenic mother

  The psychiatrist recognised that many of her patients mentioned a specific type of parent - which she named the schizophrenogenic mother. According to the psychiatrist the schizophrenogenic mother is rejecting, cold and controlling and will tend to create a family climate controlled by tension and secrecy.
• The schizophrenogenic mother

  These actions follow on to distrust that later develops into paranoid delusions and ultimately schizophrenia.
• Double-bind theory

  Gregory Bateson et al. (1972) stated that family climate is important in the development of schizophrenia while emphasising the role of communication style within a family.
• Double-bind theory

  The developing child will regularly find themselves stuck in situations where they fear they aren’t doing the right thing but will receive mixed messages as to what this is. They feel as though they are unable to comment on the situation and how it is unfair or seek clarification.
• Double-bind theory

  When the child will ‘get it wrong’ which would be often, the child is punished by withdrawal of love. By doing this, it leaves them thinking that the world is dangerous and confusing which is reflected in symptoms like disorganised thinking and paranoid delusions.
• Double-bind theory

  Bateson made it clear in the study that this was not the main type of communication in the family of someone with schizophrenia or was it the only factor in developing schizophrenia but said it was just a risk factor. 
• Expressed emotion


  Expressed emotion is the level of emotion, specially negative emotion which is expressed towards a person with schizophrenia by the people who look after them, often family members.
• Expressed emotion 


  Expressed emotion contains a few elements. Verbal criticism of the person which is occasionally accompanied by violence. Hostility towards the person, including anger and rejection. Lastly, emotional over involvement in the life of the person, including needless self sacrifice.
• Expressed emotions 


  High levels of expressed emotion directed at an individual can cause significant stress which is a primary explanation for relapse in people with schizophrenia. Additionally, it is suggested that the big amount of stress might trigger the onset of schizophrenia in individuals who are already vulnerable. 
• Dysfunctional thinking 


  A cognitive explanation for any phenomenon is one which focuses on the role of mental processes. Schizophrenia links with several types of dysfunctional thought processing which can possibly provide explanations for schizophrenia altogether. 
• Dysfunctional thinking 


  Schizophrenia is characterised by disruption to normal thought processing and we see this in many of its symptoms. The first one being a reduced thought processing in the ventral striatum which is associated with negative symptoms.
• Dysfunctional thinking


  However, reduced processing of information in the temporal and cingulate gyri is associated with hallucinations (Simon et al. 2015). Because there is a lower than normal level of information processing this suggests that cognition is likely to be impaired.
• Metarepresentation dysfunction


  This refers to problems with the ability to reflect on our own thoughts and behaviours.
• Metarepresentation dysfunction


  This skill helps us to understand our intentions and interpret others actions. When this ability is impaired, it can lead to confusion about our own thoughts and action which will result in experiences like hearing voices or feeling that thoughts are inserted by others.
• Central control dysfunction 


  Involves difficulties in controlling automatic responses while trying to focus on deliberate actions.involves difficulties in controlling automatic responses while trying to focus on deliberate actions.
• Central control dysfunction


  This can lead to issues like speech poverty and thought disorder which a person struggles to suppress automatic thoughts triggered by other ideas. For instance, someone with this dysfunction may experience a flow of disjointed thoughts because they cant control these automatic responses.