Critically Assess The View That Schizophrenia is a Social Construction
Abnormal Psychology Critically Assess The View That Schizophrenia is a Social Construction Fiona Dyer The word 'normal' is a phrase often used without thought in everyday language. We say things such as 'that tastes normal' or 'you look normal to me...' etc. but when you actually think about what 'normal' is you begin to realise that normality in a sense does not exist. The conventional understanding of normality is to think of it as the average. It's suggests that the majority of the population is similar to each other on a variety of things; this similarity is given the label of normality. Anything that deviates from this would be seen as abnormal. So for example to get an extremely high or extremely low score in an I.Q. test would seem abnormal (if the average score were 100 and the majority of the population scored close to that). However, a type of abnormality such as a high I.Q. could be seen as desirable whilst a low I.Q. is seen as undesirable. What is interesting here is abnormality is not always seen as a negative, yet the word 'abnormal' in itself is often used in a negative way. The reason for this could lie in Social Constructionism. Social Constructionism is basically the belief that the world we live in is constructed. That is, all our beliefs, knowledge, understandings and behaviours are constructed in a certain way, intentionally or not. "It assumes that
Social Work & Schizophrenia
Service User Group - Individuals with Schizophrenia Schizophrenia can be described as a chronic, debilitating disorder, characterized by an inability to distinguish between what is real and what is not (Tartakovsky, 2009). The individual usually experiences symptoms such as hallucinations and delusional thoughts, and they are unable to think rationally, communicate properly, make decisions or remember information. Some other symptoms include disorganised speech, disorganised behaviour, flat emotions, apathy and loss of drive. There are a number of theories that attempt to explain the onset of schizophrenia. This is an area of great debate. Many of the theories that have been put forward in the past have not yet been fully supported by strong scientific research. It is probable that there are a number of different causes. Modern techniques have demonstrated that some affected people have changes in the structure of their brains. There is also evidence that some of these individuals may have been affected by infections before they were born. Occasionally the disorder appears to run in families affecting many family members. The 'Diathesis-Stress Model' balances the cause of schizophrenia between internal and external influences. It emphasizes the impact that the environment can have on people who are deemed genetically vulnerable to developing schizophrenia.
Critically consider the contributions of biological and environmental factors in schizophrenia.
CRITICALLY CONSIDER THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF BIOLOGICAL & ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA. Schizophrenia is a complex brain disorder affecting thoughts and perceptions. This illness affects at least 1% of the population worldwide, regardless of race, economic condition or geographical location. No single cause of schizophrenia has been identified to date There are likely to be several contributing factors. This essay will consider the possible biological & environmental factors. There are probably multiple causes for schizophrenia, & scientists do not know all of the factors that produce this mental disorder. Biological factors arise from physiology, biochemistry, genetic make up and physical constitution. Studies have shown that genetic factors play an important role in the development of schizophrenia; for example, the child of one parent with schizophrenia has about a 10% chance of developing the disease. If both parents suffer with the disease, the risk is increased by 40%. By comparison, the risk of schizophrenia in the general population is about 1%. The table below indicates the possible chances of developing schizophrenia during a lifetime. General Population 1% Sibling with Schizophrenia 8-10% One parent with Schizophrenia. 12-15% Fraternal twin has Schizophrenia 14% Identical twin has Schizophrenia 50% However if genetics was the ONLY factor in
Outline and evaluate two or more therapies used in the treatment of schizophrenia.
Treating Schizophrenia 'Therapies can be time-consuming and, in some cases, uncomfortable for the client. It is, therefore, very important to offer the most appropriate and effective type of treatment.' Outline and evaluate two or more therapies used in the treatment of schizophrenia. Different people choose different therapies for schizophrenia because the difference in treatments is so vast with different levels of intensity and effectiveness. Treatments are usually selected by which the patient feels most comfortable with. There are two main types of therapies, Biological and Psychological. Antipsychotic medication is a biological therapy. These are drugs that are effective in treating the most disturbing forms of psychotic illness such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Antipsychotic medication helps the person with the disorder function as well as possible in their life. Conventional antipsychotics (for example chlorpromazine) are used primarily to combat the positive symptoms of schizophrenia such as hallucinations. The basic mechanism of conventional antipsychotics is to reduce the effects of dopamine and so reduce the symptoms of schizophrenia, hence their alter ego, dopamine antagonists. They bind to dopamine receptors but do not stimulate them, thus blocking their action. By reducing stimulation of the dopamine system in the brain, antipsychotics can
Outline and evaluate two or more therapies used in the treatment of schizophrenia.
"Outline and evaluate two or more therapies used in the treatment of schizophrenia" There are two methods in treating schizophrenia; biologically or psychologically. One way to treat schizophrenia biologically is by antipsychotic medication. This therapy involves the use of drugs; conventional and atypical drugs. Conventional drugs bind to dopamine receptors, blocking their action. Reducing stimulation of dopamine in the brain helps to remove signs of hallucinations and delusions. Conventional drugs are primarily used to combat the positive symptoms of schizophrenia. Positive symptoms are thoughts, behaviours, or sensory perceptions present in a person with schizophrenia, but not present in people in the normal population. Atypical antipsychotic drugs also act on dopamine but also block serotonin in the brain. Atypical drugs are thought to have lower levels of side effects such as tardive dyskinesia (involuntary movement in body parts). Atypical drugs not only work on positive symptoms but also negative symptoms. Negative symptoms affect the behaviour, feelings or perception of the person with schizophrenia. Many studies have evaluated the effectiveness of both conventional and atypical drugs by comparing the relapse rates of those on medication and those on placebos. Placebos are fake medication. Davis (1980) found a significant difference in terms of relapse rates
Schizophrenia - A Vague Guide
Why do people always misunderstand it as having an alternate personality? This guide explains Schizophrenia very vaguely (as it is a deep, complex and differing disorder). It also contains references to help further study if interested. What is Schizophrenia? Schizophrenia is when people "experience hallucinations (seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling or tasting something that does not exist, as if it were real). Hearing voices is the most common hallucination experienced with schizophrenia. "The patient "may hold false and often unusual beliefs with unshakeable conviction. For example, someone might fear that he or she is being watched or followed by another who wants to control or do them harm. These beliefs are called delusions" and "show little emotion or if he or she does express any it may appear out of context, for example crying at a joke. They may become withdrawn, avoiding the company of friends and family and staying in their room." Another possible symptom is "saying very little and rarely initiate a conversation. They may speak in a way that will seem muddled and illogical, conveying little meaning. They may think or act in a way that cannot easily be understood. He or she may become uncharacteristically hostile to members of the family." 1 Statistics * Nearly 1 in 100 people will experience Schizophrenia in their lifetime * After a first episode of
Issues with the Classification of Schizophrenia
Issues with classification of schizophrenia (8+16marks) There are many issues with the current classification system which in turn undermines the reliability and validity of the diagnosis of schizophrenia. This then consequently affects the validity and reliability of treatment options and limits the ability to validly compare schizophrenic research due to the ambiguity in recognising it. In order for the classification to both be reliable and valid characteristics should be adhere to many assumptions. Deviations from this ideal diagnostic system weaken the classification. Ideally characteristics should be mutually exclusive and jointly exhaustible categories. The advantage of valid and reliable diagnosis means aetiologies, treatment and prognosis are accurate. However, if the diagnosis lacks reliability, misdiagnosis, assumptions of categories and labelling effect may occur. One of the main issues is that there is no object test that can measure schizophrenia and a great deal of emphasis is placed on patient’s ability to report the symptoms which may not always be accurately described hindering reliability of the diagnosis. Despite no object tests there are diagnostic manuals that highlight the clinical characteristics of the disorder that clinicians can use to inform their diagnosis in attempt to objectify schizophrenia. However, discrepancies exist between the two
Schizophrenia: Introduction and Overview
Running head: THE IMPACT OF SCHIZOPHRENIA Schizophrenia: Introduction and Overview Student ID: 2540 (AP205) Southern Cross International College (Path Education Singapore) Schizophrenia: Introduction and Overview Diseases of the brain and mind have occupied humanity from ancient times. Syndromes recognizable as forms of psychosis appear in the writings of Plato and Hippocrates. Psychosis is a syndrome such as a constellation of symptoms that reflects the distortion of the person's thoughts and perceptions such that there is a loss of boundaries between what is real and what is unreal, between himself or herself and the external world. And Schizophrenia, itself is a form of psychosis, characterized by a multiplicity of symptoms affecting the most fundamental human attributes: cognition, emotion and perception - a mind that is torn asunder. The early age of onset, varying degree of intellectual and psychosocial impairment, possibility of long-term disability and above all associated stigma, often brings to its victims and their family's emotional and financial distress, which makes schizophrenia one of the most severe and devastating mental illness (Thaker and Carpenter, 2001). Symptoms of schizophrenia are generally divided into three categories: positive, negative and disorganized symptoms (Andreasen, 1995 pg. 477 - 81). Positive symptoms refer to the presence of
Biological Approach to Schizophrenia
Biological approach The biological approach suggests that schizophrenia is a disorder caused by genetic abnormalities and increased biochemical levels. Schizophrenia appears to run in families and genetic studies have shown that the risk of developing schizophrenia is proportional to the amount of genes they share. The assumption is that monozygotic (MZ) twins will show a greater concordance rate than dizygotic (DZ) twins because they are genetically similar. Gottesman et al found that MZ twins had a 50% concordance rate whereas DZ twins had a rate of only 9%. These findings support the idea that there is a genetic component to schizophrenia. However, concordance rates are still below 100% which means genetics alone cannot explain schizophrenia, suggesting an alternative component. Although twin studies show a strong genetic link with schizophrenia they do not use the same diagnostic criteria. McGuffin found that different definitions produce different concordance rates and therefore comparisons cannot be made within these studies. Another limitation is that MZ twins are very rare. 1% of the world are schizophrenics and only a small portion of these are MZ twins. This sample is small and we cannot have lots of research to then successfully generalise these findings. One of the main criticism is that both twins live in the same environment and therefore we cannot
Schizophrenia and related psychosis.
The author of this work is currently employed as a community psychiatric nurse whose remit is to work with those clients with serious and enduring mental illness, the majority of whom have a medical diagnosis of schizophrenia and related psychosis. Over the past 10 years there's been a growing movement towards diverse treatments for schizophrenia other than the acknowledged role of medication as a treatment modality (Birchwood and Tarrier 1993). Developments in psychological theory have led to a number of innovative psychological treatments drawn from human experimental psychology such as behavioural and social psychology and cognitive science. Therapies based on cognitive behavioural theory have been rapidly developing, initially for the so called 'neurotic disorders' but in recent years evidence has accumulated to suggest that these cognitive behavioural approaches can be effective for those people suffering from psychosis ( Williams 1995). The aim of this assignment is to explore the basis of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and review its' therapeutic application to schizophrenia. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is an evolutionary paradigm that came about a from the merging of the established paradigm of behavioural therapy and contemporary cognitive therapy (Clarke and Fairburn 1997). Behavioural therapy historically focused on anxiety, phobic
