16 Markers

Question 1

Discuss one or more biological explanations for schizophrenia.

Answer 1

• Neural correlates are structural and functional changes in the brain that result in characteristics symptoms of a behaviour or disorder.
• Dopamine is a neurotransmitter is linked to the senation of pleasure
• The original dopamine hypothesis put found that schizophrenic patients are thought to have high levels of dopamine (hyperdopaminergic) due to the discovery of using drugs to treat schizophrenia caused them to have symptoms similar to parkinson’s patients (low dopamine levels)
• This helped to state that schizophrenic patients had higher levels of dopamine (hyperdomaninergic)
• The updated hypothesis states that schizophrenic patients may additionaly experince being hypominergic in the prefrontal cortex which is responsible for thinking and decision making and may lead to negative symptoms of schizophrenia (avolition)

Question 2

Discuss the use of the interactionist approach in explaining and treating schizophrenia.

Answer 2

• A broad approach which acknowledges a range of factors including biological and psychological are envolved in development of a disorder
• Diathesis is an underlying vulnerability that can be triggered by stress resulting in development of disorder
• Stress is the trigger which interacts with diathesis resulting in the development of disorder
• More holistic more valid
• There is an issue in how much each factor contributes to the development of the disorder - unclear (lacks validity)
• In Britain, treats using a combination of drugs and CBT
• In USA medication without psychological treatment is more common
• Research indicates that combination of treatemnts works most effective yet whic treatment is best depends on want patient’s individual needs and circumstances
  are (family therapy will only suit those who have family dysfunctions)
• When combing drugs they have side effects and relies of patient taking them
• Usually consider effective in treating disorder as it combats disordered thinking

Question 3

Outline one or more biological explanations for schizophrenia.
Compare biological with the family dysfunction explanation for schizophrenia.

Question 4

Describe and evaluate family therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy as treatments for schizophrenia. Refer to Jay and Maria.

Question 5

Discuss one or more explanations for schizophrenia. Refer to Jay in your answer.

Answer 5

• Cognitive
• Family Studies - parents 6%
• Family dysfunctions - schizophrenogenic mother

Question 6

Discuss family dysfunctions as an explanation for schizophrenia. Refer to Jade in your answer.

Answer 6

• Family dysfunctions suggest that abnormal and unhealthy patterns of communication, cold parenting ca cause stress. This stress is believed to influences or cause schizophrenia in a family member.
• The schizophenogenic mother is a mother who is cold, rejecting and controlling
• This is thought to create tension in the family climate which can lead to secrecy and distrust, perhaps causing paranoid delusions in schizophrenia
• The double-blind theory is when an individual is repeatedly exposed to conflicting instructions and they do not have the opportunity to adequately respond to or ignore them
• The developing child regularly finds themselves trapped in situations where they fear doing the wrong thing and they are unable to seek clarification. They often get it wrong which is punished by a withdrawal of love leaving the world as confusing and dangerous to the child (disorganised thinking and paranoid delusions)
• Socially sensitive topic of parent blaming, parents take responsibility to care for the patient, blaming adds insult to injury
• Reductionist

Question 7

Discuss the Diathesis stress model as a way of explaining schizophrenia.