Q2

• Q2) describe one social psychological explanation of schizophrenia (10)

  
• Schizophrenia


  A major psychotic disorder that causes a variety of possible symptoms, it affects thought processes but is typified by a lack on contact with reality
• Social psychological explanation of schizophrenia

  • Dysfunctional family communication, including double bind theory and expressed emotion
• Double bind theory


  1. Schizophrenics reported higher recall of double bind statements by their mothers than non-schizophrenics

  2. Mothers of schizophrenic daughters were aloof and unresponsive towards them as opposed to their 'normal' daughters
• Double bind statements


  Contributing risk factor in the development of schizophrenia
• Expressed emotion


  Significant factor in relapse of some individuals with schizophrenia, but not the only factor that determines relapse
• The communications offered in a structured task by the parents of 11 sons with schizophrenia were no more disordered than the communications offered by parents of 11 sons who did not have schizophrenia
• Incidental variations in family interactions that would normally have had little effect, may at times of family disruption lead to double bind communications
• This social psychological explanation of schizophrenia reduces the complex nature of schizophrenia to simplistic communicational problems and ignores the role of social and biological factors
• This social psychological explanation of schizophrenia is deterministic as it suggests that individuals have no free will in their communication skills and there are purely reflective of communication with family members
• This social psychological explanation of schizophrenia has led to the development of family intervention to reduce the risk of relapse and help both patients and families to manage their schizophrenic symptoms
• We should take a holistic approach and consider this social psychological explanation alongside others, such as biological cognitive and social factors to get a more complete understanding of this disorder