(6) Family dysfunction :Psychological explanations for schizophrenia

Family Dysfunction

Explanations based on family dysfunction claim that schizophrenia is caused by abnormal patterns of communication within the family and living within a dysfunctional family.

Examples of Family dysfunction

• Mothers

• Double bind theory

• Expressed emotion

Schizophrenic mothers

This is a psychodynamic explanation. It is based on a type of parent that 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 (beliefs of being persecuted by another person) and ultimately schizophrenia

Double Bind Theory

• children who frequently receive contradictory messages from their parents are more likely to develop schizophrenia

For example, if a mother tells her son that she loves him but at the same time turns her head away in disgust, the child receives two conflicting message about their relationship.

• In the long run this manifests itself as schizophrenic symptoms eg flattened affect and withdrawal

Expressed Emotion

• the level of emotion expressed towards the patient, and includes verbal criticism, hostility and emotional overinvolvement / anger

• people with schizophrenia have a lower tolerance for these intense interactions with family members; and that the negative emotional climate in these families arouses the patient and leads to stress beyond their impaired coping mechanisms, thus triggering a schizophrenic episode

Evaluation of Family Dysfunction: Inconclusive support

Most evidence is based on clinical observations of people with sz and informal assessment of their mother’s personalities, but not on empirical evidence.

There has been no direct link found between childhood trauma and sz

Evaluation of Family Dysfunction: Social Sensitivity

It may be useful to show that insecure attachment and childhood trauma affect individual vulnerability to SZ.

However this research can lead to parent blaming, particularly mothers.

Evaluation of Family Dysfunction: nature v nurture