Pinto (2017) & Copeland (1971)
Psychology: AQA A Level, topic 12.1.3
Pinto et al (2017)
Pinto et al (2017) studied schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders in Caribbean-born migrants and their descendants in England.
Research aim & method
- Research aim
- To investigate the increased risk of schizophrenia in Black Caribbean people and their descendants.
- Research method
- A meta-analysis of databases from 1950-2013.
Results & conclusions
- Results
- Statistically significant elevated incidence rates in the Black Caribbean group were found, present across all major psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
- Conclusions
- In the UK, Black Caribbean’s are more likely to be diagnosed with mental illness than their white counterparts.
Evaluation
- Strengths
- Large sample, reliable evidence.
- Limitations
- Does not explain why.
- Evidence of racial bias in diagnosis.
Copeland et al (1971)
Copeland et al (1971) studied American psychiatrist diagnoses vs British. The researchers wanted to investigate cultural variations in the diagnosis of schizophrenia.
Method, results & conclusion
- Method
- In an experiment, Copeland (1971) gave 134 US and 194 British psychiatrists a description of a patient.
- Results
- 69% of the US psychiatrists diagnosed schizophrenia, but only 2% of the British ones gave the same diagnosis.
- Conclusion
- Diagnosis of schizophrenia is not very reliable between cultures.
Evaluation
- Strengths
- Shows that mental illness can be a cultural construct.
- Limitations
- Lacks ecological validity – giving a diagnosis from a description is different to seeing a patient in real life.
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Pinto et al (2017) conducted a meta-analysis of databases from...
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