This is an essay received an A - 21/24 covering the cognitive factors, socio-cultural, Interpersonal communication with families such as expressed emotions and double-bind communication. Also covers detailed evaluations - The diathesis stress model.
Discuss psychological explanations of schizophrenia
(8+16 marks)
There are many different psychological explanations for
schizophrenia such as cognitive, social – cultural and behavioural.
The social cultural theory suggests that family communications such
as double bind communication and expressed emotions cause
schizophrenia.
Batesan et al proposed the double bind hypothesis. He claimed that
schizophrenia is a result of the child’s parents sending mutually
contradictory signals for example they noted that communication
occurs on multiple levels: verbal, facial, voice, tone and posture and
any contradictions in these levels such as assurances of love being
given in a tone which suggest the opposite. These destructive
double bind communication causes internal conflicts within the child
as it prevents a coherent construction of reality and is later
represented by the schizophrenic symptoms such as confused
thinking.
There is little research evidence that schizophrenic families
communicate are differently and there is research evidence that
dysfunctional communication characterises all family interactions to
some extent. Liem found the patterns of communication in parents
of schizophrenics were no different from those of parents of non-
schizophrenics. Ringuette and Kennedy also analysed the family
communication through letters written by parents to their
hospitalised children. They found no difference in the amount of
double-bind communication in the letters to children with
schizophrenia than to those with other disorders. This shows that
faulty family communication is not a major factor in causing
schizophrenia. The double bind theory can’t explain why some
develop schizophrenia and others develop different disorders. The
theory therefore lacks explanatory power given the fact that
communication is similar in schizophrenic and non-schizophrenic
families and they don’t account for the varied severity of the
disorder.
Kavanagh found that high expressed emotion is a main factor in
relapse as individuals are four times more likely to relapse if
expressed emotion is high. Expressed emotions refers to a pattern of
criticism, hostility, and emotional over-involvement directed at the
schizophrenic by family members. However the research it only
explains the influence of family influences on the maintenance
rather than cause.
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