Psychological explanations for Schizophrenia
Family dysfunction
Psychologists have attempted to link schizophrenia to childhood and adult
experiences of living in a dysfunctional family (family dysfunction).
Family dysfunction- abnormal processes within a family such as poor family
communication, cold parenting, and high levels of expressed emotion. These
may be risk factors for both the development and maintenance of schizophrenia.
The schizophrenic mother
Freida Fromm-Reichman proposed a psychodynamic explanation for
schizophrenia based on the accounts she heard from her patients about their
childhoods. Fromm-Reichman noted that many of her patients spoke about a
particular type of parent, which she called the schizophrenogenic mother.
‘schizophrenogenic’ meaning schizophrenia-causing. According to Fromm-
Reichman the schizophrenogenic mother is cold, rejecting, and controlling, and
tends to create a family climate characterised by tension and secrecy. This leads
to distrust that later develops into paranoid delusions and ultimately
schizophrenia.
Double-bind theory
Gregory Bateson et al agreed that family climate is important in developing
schizophrenia but emphasised the role of communication style within a family.
The developing child regularly finds themselves trapped in situations where they
fear doing the wrong thing, but receive mixed messages about what this is, and
feel unable to comment on the unfairness of the situation or seek clarification.
When they ‘get it wrong’ (which is often) the child is punished by the withdrawal
of love. This leaves them with an understanding of the world as confusing and
dangerous, and this is reflected in symptoms like disorganised thinking and
paranoid delusions. Bateson was clear that this was neither the main type of
communication in the family of schizophrenia-sufferers, nor the only factor in
developing schizophrenia, just a risk factor.
Expressed emotion and schizophrenia
Expressed emotion (EE) is a level of emotion, in particular negative emotion,
expressed towards a patient by their carers. EE contains several elements:
verbal criticism of the patient occasionally accompanied by violence.
hostility towards the patient, including anger and rejection.
emotional over-involvement in the life of the patient, including needless
self-sacrifice.
These high levels of expressed emotion in carers directed towards the patient
are a serious source of stress for the patient. This is primarily an explanation for
relapse in patients with schizophrenia. However, it has also been suggested that
it may be a source of stress that can trigger the onset of schizophrenia in a
person who is already vulnerable, for example due to their genetic make-up.
Cognitive explanations
Family dysfunction
Psychologists have attempted to link schizophrenia to childhood and adult
experiences of living in a dysfunctional family (family dysfunction).
Family dysfunction- abnormal processes within a family such as poor family
communication, cold parenting, and high levels of expressed emotion. These
may be risk factors for both the development and maintenance of schizophrenia.
The schizophrenic mother
Freida Fromm-Reichman proposed a psychodynamic explanation for
schizophrenia based on the accounts she heard from her patients about their
childhoods. Fromm-Reichman noted that many of her patients spoke about a
particular type of parent, which she called the schizophrenogenic mother.
‘schizophrenogenic’ meaning schizophrenia-causing. According to Fromm-
Reichman the schizophrenogenic mother is cold, rejecting, and controlling, and
tends to create a family climate characterised by tension and secrecy. This leads
to distrust that later develops into paranoid delusions and ultimately
schizophrenia.
Double-bind theory
Gregory Bateson et al agreed that family climate is important in developing
schizophrenia but emphasised the role of communication style within a family.
The developing child regularly finds themselves trapped in situations where they
fear doing the wrong thing, but receive mixed messages about what this is, and
feel unable to comment on the unfairness of the situation or seek clarification.
When they ‘get it wrong’ (which is often) the child is punished by the withdrawal
of love. This leaves them with an understanding of the world as confusing and
dangerous, and this is reflected in symptoms like disorganised thinking and
paranoid delusions. Bateson was clear that this was neither the main type of
communication in the family of schizophrenia-sufferers, nor the only factor in
developing schizophrenia, just a risk factor.
Expressed emotion and schizophrenia
Expressed emotion (EE) is a level of emotion, in particular negative emotion,
expressed towards a patient by their carers. EE contains several elements:
verbal criticism of the patient occasionally accompanied by violence.
hostility towards the patient, including anger and rejection.
emotional over-involvement in the life of the patient, including needless
self-sacrifice.
These high levels of expressed emotion in carers directed towards the patient
are a serious source of stress for the patient. This is primarily an explanation for
relapse in patients with schizophrenia. However, it has also been suggested that
it may be a source of stress that can trigger the onset of schizophrenia in a
person who is already vulnerable, for example due to their genetic make-up.
Cognitive explanations
