Outline the strengths and weaknesses of the biological explanation of psychopathology The biological approach is currently the dominant approach in studying in treating psychopathology. This is carried out by psychiatrists, who qualify as medical doctors before specialising in psychiatry. They tried to apply the medical model to psychological disorders, identifying biological aspects of this disorder and using physical treatments, such as drugs. According to the biological approach of abnormality, psychopathology has an underlying physical cause. Abnormality is associated with change in brain or bodily functions.
Write 800 to 1000 words on the different explanations of schizophrenia. - Biological, psychodynamic, cognitive, behaviourist, diathesis/stress model, environmental - Compare, contrast, evaluate Schizophrenia is a disorder of thinking and troubled mood and is a label given to a group of disorders that can have very different symptoms. People with schizophrenia are rarely dangerous to other people. Most individuals affected are vulnerable and withdrawn and more likely to hurt themselves than others. 1 in 100 people will develop the condition.
Adoption studies go one step further in narrowing down a strong correlational link by ruling out the effect of environment on development of schizophrenia to illustrate the genetic link more clearly. They do this by comparing adopted children to their biological parents to determine links with schizophrenia. Kendler found that first degree relatives of individuals with schizophrenia are 18 times more at risk of developing the condition as the general population. Illustrating the genetic predisposition within families who share genes, strongly supporting the genetic explanation as there is such a high concordance rate. However this study can be criticised because of its retrospective analysis after the disorder had developed, thus it may be more conclusive if a prospective study was conducted to show the ‘before and after’ effects within families.
Discuss biological explanations for depression (24marks) One of the most popular explanations of depression is genetics; this theory states that genes are to blame for the presence of depression. It also argues that depression, like many other illnesses, is an inherited one which runs in families. McGuffin et al (1996) conducted research on concordance rates using 177 identical and fraternal twins. They found that the concordance rate was 46% for identical twins, but only 20% for fraternal twins; these findings are significant as the concordance rate for identical twins is over double of that for fraternal twins. These findings support the biological explanation as it suggests that depression has a genetic factor.
Outline and evaluate one or more biological explanations for schizophrenia The biochemical explanation is one explanation for the cause of schizophrenia in terms of the release of neurotransmitters. This suggests that schizophrenia could be caused by an excess amount of dopamine in the brain. This is due to receptor cells requiring dopamine to fire so with a large amount of dopamine present it is activated too much and too many messages are sent. This is what could account for the confused and the erratic behaviour which is seen in schizophrenic patients. Support for this theory is the effect of amphetamines.
“It occurs in 10 percent of people who have a first-degree relative with the disorder, such as a parent, brother, or sister. People who have second-degree relatives (aunts, uncles, grandparents, or cousins) with the disease also develop schizophrenia more often than the general population” (Schizophrenia, 2009). There isn’t just one gene that is associated with schizophrenia, but scientists believe there are several genes that are linked to the disorder. “Other recent studies suggest that schizophrenia may result in part when a certain gene that is key to making important brain chemicals malfunctions. This problem may affect the part of the brain involved in developing higher functioning skills” (Schizophrenia, 2009).
Nick Almeida Stephanie Branch Rachel Johnson Intro. Abnormal Psychology Adolescent Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder that affects about 1% of the total population. It is characterized by sets of positive and negative symptoms which vary from patient to patient, but in general affects the normal functioning in social and occupational settings. The focus of this paper will be on the causes, diagnoses, and treatments associated with adolescent schizophrenia. It is important to effectively understand adolescent schizophrenia because the disorder can last a lifetime; learning the base causes, the dynamics of a strong diagnosis, and the most effective treatments can greatly improve a patient’s probability
Gottesman (1991) investigated twin studies of monozygotic and dizygotic twins. He summarized 40 concordance studies and found that when one of the twins was diagnosed with schizophrenia, monozygotic twins showed a 48% concordance rate over a 17% concordance rate in dizygotic twins. Due to the monozygotic twins sharing 100% of their DNA and dizygotic sharing only 50%, this shows that genetics are very likely to play a role in someone developing schizophrenia. However, due to concordance rates not being 100% in MZ twins, it also suggests that some environmental factors must play a role too. Loehlin and Nichols (1976) suggested that the high concordance rates in MZ twins is most likely to be due to the fact they will be treated very
Describe and evaluate biological explanations for schizophrenia: Genetics have been identified as one possible explanation for schizophrenia. For instance, Miyakawa studied DNA from human families affected by schizophrenia and found that those with the disease were more likely to have a defective version of a gene, called PPP3CC which is associated with the production of calcineurin which regulates the immune system. Also, research by Sherrington has found a gene located on chromosome 5 which has been linked in a small number of extended families where they have the disorder. Family studies investigate genetic transmission of schizophrenia; studies compare rates of schizophrenia in relatives of diagnosed cases compared to relatives of
Genetics Factor Behind Childhood Schizophrenia This research paper examines the role of genetic and environmental risk factors in the development of childhood schizophrenia. Childhood schizophrenia appears to be a disorder of development that results from a series of neurological insults from fetal life onward. Whether or not schizophrenia manifests in the result of a conglomeration of these factors, both genetic and environmental. Schizophrenia undoubtedly has a genetic component. The risk of inheriting schizophrenia ranges from about 10% for those who have one first-degree family member (mother, father, sister, brother) with the disease to about 40%-65% if the disease affects both parents and an identical twin.