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Strengths and weaknesses of biological explanations for schizophrenia
Biological theory of schizophrenia
Strengths and weaknesses of biological explanations for schizophrenia
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The emergence of Schizophrenia can be attributed to many individual factors including biological causes, such as heredity and genetics, sociopsychological influences, like social class, and social factors, namely stressful life events. One particular opinion regarding the aetiology of this illness is Expressed Emotion: a concept which links directly to the emotional atmosphere in the caregivers home, and the feelings conveyed regarding the illness of the dependent (Whittick, 1993). When a Schizophrenic patient goes into convalescence, they are required to be in a stable environment which is low in expressed emotion, otherwise implications, including relapse, are more likely to occur (Vaughn and Leff, 1976).
Schizophrenia is a complex psychological disorder in which the sufferer experiences severe disturbances is cognitive ability, speech, perception, emotion and behaviour (Herz and Marder, 2002). Although Eugene Bleuler first introduced the disorder of Schizophrenia in 1911, it had been documented as being a discrete psychological condition as early as 1887, by Emile Kraepelin (Passer, 2009). A direct translation of Schizophrenia is “split mind” and is ultimately a loss of harmony between various groups of mental functions, often confused with dissociative identity disorder. To be diagnosed with Schizophrenia, the individual must display signs of having a variety of symptoms, for example, delusions of control, hallucinations and catatonia (World Health Organisation, 1993), which fall under the category of positive symptoms. Delusions can be classified as bizarre or nonbizarre, depending on the nature of the delusion. For example, the DSM-IV-TR would consider a delusion that involved a Schizophrenic believing that aliens were co...
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...mind and behaviour. London: McGraw Hill.
Pinel, J. P. J. (2006). Biopsychology. (6th ed). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.
Subotnik, K. L., Goldstein, M. J., Nuechterlein, K. H., Woo, S. M., & Mintz, J. (2002). Are Communication Deviance and Expressed Emotion Related to Family History of Psychiatric Disorders in Schizophrenia? Schizophrenia Bulletin. 28(4), pp.719-729
Vaughn, C., & Leff, J. (1976). The measurement of expressed emotion in the families of psychiatric patients. British Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 15, 157-165.
Whittick, J. E. (1993). Carers of the Dementing Elderly: Coping Techniques and Expressed Emotion. (Unpublished Ph.D Theses). University of Glasgow, Scotland.
World Health Organisation. (1993). The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders: Diagnosis Criteria for Research. Geneva: Office of Publications.
Butler, R. (2008). The Carers of People with Dementia. BMJ: British Medical Journal , 336, 1260-1261.
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
The DSM-5 lists approximately 400 mental disorders, each one explains the criteria for diagnosing the disorder and key clinical features, and sometimes describes features that are often times not related to the disorder. The classification is further explained by the background information such as: research findings, age, culture, gender trends, and each disorder’s prevalence, risk, course, complications, predisposing factors, and family patterns (Comer, 2013, pp.100).... ... middle of paper ... ...
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
According to (Barlow, 2001), Schizophrenia is a psychological or mental disorder that makes the patient recognize real things and to have abnormal social behavior. Schizophrenia is characterized by symptoms such as confused thinking, hallucinations, false beliefs, demotivation, reduced social interaction and emotional expressions (Linkov, 2008). Diagnosis of this disorder is done through observation of patient’s behavior, and previously reported experiences (Mothersill, 2007). In this paper, therefore, my primary goal is to discuss Schizophrenia and how this condition is diagnosed and treated.
middle of paper ... ... Retrieved June 16, 2002, from http://nimh.nih.gov/publicat/numbers.cfm. National Mental Health Association. 2000 May 15.
Chien, W. (2010). Stress of Family Members in Caring for a Relative with Schizophrenia. New York: Nova Science Publishers.
People with a psychosis have difficulty dealing with day to day. Living in poverty or an abusive environment places serious strain on an individual’s mental health (Association, 2001). There is thought to be three causes to mental illness (Association, 2001). The first is genetic and some researchers suggest the mental illness is inherited (Association, 2001). Psychological is the second and this is when the individual expresses low self esteem which can lead to depression. The third is socio-cultural, or stressor of life. This is when the family structure or ways of communication could induce abnormal behaviour (Association, 2001).
Misunderstood with the assistance of popular stigmas and stereotypes, schizophrenia and its severity is often degraded and overlooked by the public. Wrongly feared and shunned, individuals with schizophrenia have too commonly been judged throughout human history and even today. Many aspects of the disease are failed to be truly understood and represented, from the effects of the disease to the availability of treatment. Favored by the media, incorrect and misleading portrayals of schizophrenics frequently appear in popular culture and entertainment, influencing people’s perceptions of the mental illness. Not at all rare and incredibly destructive, schizophrenia as mental illness lacks a very apparent public empathy and knowledge, a clear disadvantage and deterrent for victims of the condition.
Schizophrenia is a serious, chronic mental disorder characterized by loss of contact with reality and disturbances of thought, mood, and perception. Schizophrenia is the most common and the most potentially sever and disabling of the psychosis, a term encompassing several severe mental disorders that result in the loss of contact with reality along with major personality derangements. Schizophrenia patients experience delusions, hallucinations and often lose thought process. Schizophrenia affects an estimated one percent of the population in every country of the world. Victims share a range of symptoms that can be devastating to themselves as well as to families and friends. They may have trouble dealing with the most minor everyday stresses and insignificant changes in their surroundings. They may avoid social contact, ignore personal hygiene and behave oddly (Kass, 194). Many people outside the mental health profession believe that schizophrenia refers to a “split personality”. The word “schizophrenia” comes from the Greek schizo, meaning split and phrenia refers to the diaphragm once thought to be the location of a person’s mind and soul. When the word “schizophrenia” was established by European psychiatrists, they meant to describe a shattering, or breakdown, of basic psychological functions. Eugene Bleuler is one of the most influential psychiatrists of his time. He is best known today for his introduction of the term “schizophrenia” to describe the disorder previously known as dementia praecox and for his studies of schizophrenics. The illness can best be described as a collection of particular symptoms that usually fall into four basic categories: formal thought disorder, perception disorder, feeling/emotional disturbance, and behavior disorders (Young, 23). People with schizophrenia describe strange of unrealistic thoughts. Their speech is sometimes hard to follow because of disordered thinking. Phrases seem disconnected, and ideas move from topic to topic with no logical pattern in what is being said. In some cases, individuals with schizophrenia say that they have no idea at all or that their heads seem “empty”. Many schizophrenic patients think they possess extraordinary powers such as x-ray vision or super strength. They may believe that their thoughts are being controlled by others or that everyone knows what they are thinking. These beliefs ar...
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: Fourth Edition. Arlington : American Psychiatric Association.
Kahn, Ada P., and Jan Fawcett. The Encyclopedia of Mental Health. 2nd ed. New York: Facts On File, 2001.
The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders: Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Guidelines. Geneva: World Health Organization, 1992. Print.
Schizophrenia not only has an effect on the person with the disorder but also their relationships with the people surrounding them. Schizophrenics often disengage and separate themselves, therefore, developing paranoia and forming hardships within their relationships. Their paranoia prompts them to make strange and apprehensive ideas concerning their friends or family. The common signs and symptoms they have are delusional thoughts, anger, habit to quarrel, and interacting with others with aggressive behavior. Schizophrenics blame everyone around him...
WHO. 1993. The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders: Diagnostic criteria for research. In: WHO (ed.). Geneva: World Health Organisation.