Evaluation of Family-Based Explanations
Psychology: AQA A Level, topic 12.2.2
Studies of Family-Based Explanations
There is little evidence for family-based explanations of schizophrenia, even though there is considerable evidence to support the principle that adverse childhood experiences within the family are associated with adult schizophrenia.
Berry et al. (2008)
- There is evidence that suggests that difficult family relations in childhood are associated with increased risk of schizophrenia in adulthood.
- Berry et al. (2008) found that adult schizophrenia patients are more likely to display insecure attachments to their primary caregiver.
Read et al. (2005)
- Read et al. (2005) carried out a review of 46 studies of child abuse and schizophrenia.
- They concluded that 69% of adult women in-patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia had a history of physical abuse, sexual abuse or both in childhood.
- The figure was 59% in men.
Tienari et al. (2004)
- A small number of studies have been carried out prospectively by studying individuals with a higher risk of developing schizophrenia, such as a family history of the illness.
- Tienari et al. (2004) found higher rates of schizophrenia in an adopted high-risk group compared to controls.
Evaluation - Studies of Family-Based Explanations
There is little evidence for family-based explanations of schizophrenia, even though there is considerable evidence to support the principle that adverse childhood experiences within the family are associated with adult schizophrenia.
Low validity of findings
- In many of these research studies, information about childhood experiences was collected after the development of symptoms.
- These symptoms might have distorted parents' recollections of childhood experiences because of the stress of raising a child with the illness.
- This reduces the validity of the findings.
Weaknesses of clinical observation
- There is also little evidential support for the schizophrenogenic mother proposed in double-bind theory.
- Many of these theories are based on clinical observations that suggest parents are to blame for the illness.
- The modern mental health community has wholly rejected this proposition about parents.
Weakness of prospective studies
- Prospective studies investigating family dysfunction and schizophrenia, like Tienari et al. (2004), are small in number and their results are often inconsistent.
Test yourself on Evaluation of Family-Based Explanations
Who found that adult schizophrenia patients are more likely to display insecure attachments to their primary caregiver?
Read et al. (2005) carried out a review of how many studies of child abuse and schizophrenia?
Many research studies done on schizophrenia collected information about childhood experiences after the development of symptoms. How does this affect findings?
What are the three main limitations of studies of family-based explanations?
Who conducted a prospective study investigating family dysfunction and schizophrenia?