Schizophrenia is a mental illness that is diagnosed in 0.5%-1% of the population in their lifetime (van Os et al, 2010). Its literal translation is ‘split-brain’, though it does not refer to multiple personality disorder, but rather a split from reality characterized by its disturbed perceptions, disorganized thinking and inappropriate emotions (Myers, 2010). Much research has been carried out to gain a better understanding of the causes of this serious disorder. A popular theory is the diathesis-stress model. This theory of schizophrenia proposes that stress can elicit a pre-existing vulnerability to the disorder (Jones & Fernyhough, 2007). This model focuses on the interaction between genetic heritability of the disorder, and the environments interaction …show more content…
Within twins, monozygotic twins have a 48% probability if their twin is diagnosed with schizophrenia, and with dizygotic twins it is a 17% probability (Kalat, 2015). This shows that there is a genetic bases for schizophrenia, it also highlights that other non-genetic factors must play a role in the development of the disorder. These results have been backed by many research carried out on adoption studies. An adoption study in Finland carried out aimed to test the hypostasis that family rearing plays a factor in the development of schizophrenia (Tienari et al, 2004).Their research found that adoptees at high genetic risk (biological mother had schizophrenia) were more sensitive to problems in the adoptive family environment. Adoptees with high risk and a severally dysfunctional family rearing were significantly coordinated with a diagnosis of a schizophrenia spectrum disorder (Tienari et al, 2004). In support of the diathesis model neither high risk nor dysfunctional rearing were significantly linked with a diagnosis (Tienari et al, 2004). The research found that a ‘healthy’ adoptive family, acted as a ‘protective effect’ for the adoptees with
Those that are recognized increase the possibility only by extremely small quantities. Consequently, these “genome scans” are improbable to offer a whole image of a person’s danger for acquiring a mental disorder like schizophrenia. Additionally, it possibly endures more than genes to instigate the disorder (Stefansson, Ophoff, Steinberg, Andreassen, Cichon, Rujescu, & Kahn, 2009). Experts reflect communications amongst genes and the environment are essential for schizophrenia to grow. Several environmental issues might be comprised, such as revelation to viruses or malnourishment before birth, difficulties during birth, and other not yet recognized psychosocial issues.
Schizophrenia is a severe, disabling and chronic disorder that affects people. Schizophrenia is diagnosed as a psychotic disorder. This is because a person suffering from schizophrenia cannot tell their own thoughts, perceptions, ideas, and imaginations from the reality. There is continuing debate and research as to whether schizophrenia is one condition or a combination of more than one syndrome that have related features. People suffering from schizophrenia may seem perfectly fine until the time they talk actually talk about they are thinking. People with schizophrenia rely on others for help since they cannot care for themselves of hold a job. There is no cure for schizophrenia, but there is treatment that relieves some of the symptoms. People having the disorder will cope with the symptoms all their lives. There have been cases of people suffering from schizophrenia leading meaningful and rewarding lives. There are five types of schizophrenia namely paranoid, disorganized, residual, undifferentiated, and catatonic schizophrenia. This paper will discuss paranoid schizophrenia.
Adoption studies support the genetic theory that schizophrenia can be inherited as they provide evidence that the environment does not affect inheritance rate. The supporting study was carried out by Tienari in Finland. He investigated 164 adoptees that biological mothers have been diagnosed with schizophrenia and found 6.7% also received a diagnosis, compared to 2% of the control group of adoptees. This means that that there is a genetic liability to schizophrenia, as more of
“As with many mental disorders, the causes of schizophrenia are poorly understood. Friends and family commonly are shocked, afraid or angry when they learn of the diagnosis. People often imagine a person with schizophrenia as being more violent or out-of-control than a person who has another kind of serious mental illness. But these kinds of prejudices and misperceptions can be readily corrected (Physical Central, 2013)”. These are just some of the common misconceptions about this tragic disease. One of the best ways to describe this disease is as a “split mind” where literally the person feels as if they are in an unrealistic world that is real to them like a hallucination. “Family, twin, and adoption studies support the role of genetic influences in schizophrenia. Immediate biological relatives of people with schizophrenia have about 10 times greater risk than that of the general population. Given prevalence estimates, this translates into a 5 to 10 percent lifetime risk for first-degree relatives (including children and
Kety asked two groups of adoptees: who had schizophrenia, and a matched group who didn’t. The disorder was related in the biological and adoptive families of the two groups of adoptees – this was larger among biological relations of the schizophrenic adoptees than between ones of the controls, this supports the genetic explanation.
Kety et al. (1978) examined early-age Danish adoptees matched on gender and age. 50% of these adoptees were diagnosed as schizophrenic and 50% were not. They found that the incidence of schizophrenia was greater among the biological relatives of those with schizophrenia than those without. This is expected if genetic factors are important. They also found that the rate of schizophrenia was no different for adoptive families who had adopted a child who became schizophrenic compared to those who had adopted a child that did not become schizophrenic. This therefore suggests that environment is of little importance.
.(3) Schizophrenia is often present in familial clusters. Monozygotic twins have an even slightly higher concordance rate. It has been found through studies that adoptive parents do not have any effect upon children in relation to developing the disease, which is also another strong biological marker. The risk factor of children with parents suffering from the disease rises from one percent to twelve percent . Another finding that backs up the biological basis claim is that lower levels of platelet monomania oxidase B are found in people suffering from chronic schizophrenia. Higher levels in the cerebral spinal fluid of these monoamine metabolites, HVA, and 5HIAA are found in people with a family history of schizophrenia as opposed to people without the genetic predisposition afflicted with the disease. .(4) These varying levels result in varying biochemical changes that are predetermined and passed through families.
Biological theorists believe that individuals may have a genetic predisposition for the schizophrenia if a close family member has been diagnosed with the disorder. Stress during adolescent years seems to provoke the disorder among individuals who have a family history of the disorder. In addition, this theory suggests biochemical abnormalities related to the dopamine neurotransmitters may also contribute to the illness as the brains neurotransmission of the dopamine is too frequent in occurrence (Comer, 2005). CAT and MRI scans have also indicated that abnormal brain structuring may also play a role in the development of schizophrenia due to a common occurrence of enlarged ventricles within schizophrenia sufferers (Comer, 2005). Various parts of the brain may not develop for function properly which seems lead to Type II schizophrenia. Studies have also pointed towards the idea that exposure to certain viruses before birth may lead to the eventual development of schizophrenia (Comer, 2005).
Children (non schizophrenic) were adopted by individuals that later developed schizophrenia. As the child does not share any genes with the adopted mother/father, the environment is the only point that could determine whether or not they develop schizophrenia. There were extremely low or even no
This paper defines schizophrenia from a biological and psychological perspective and also provides treatment to help combat symptoms of schizophrenia. This paper has three important contributions. First, by defining and expanding on schizophrenia from a biological perspective, I can identify the nature related predispositions. After expanding from a biological approach, secondly, I will analyze schizophrenia from a psychological aspect by determining if there is any environment or nurturing externals that can result to schizophrenia. Lastly, I will provide treatment details and also reveal early signs to schizophrenia. This paper is important because schizophrenia is an epic mental disease and it is crucially important to bring awareness to the public of how we can limit the illness. It is unclear whether schizophrenia have only a biological background or psychological background, but what was discovered is that both contribute to schizophrenia. Positive and negative treatment can be combatted undergoing pharmaceutical and psychotherapy,
Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a metal illness which is characterized by a disruption in cognition and emotion that affects the most fundamental human attributes, such as thought, perception, language, and the sense of self. There are a large number of symptoms of schizophrenia which can include hearing internal voices, hallucinations, and delusions. No single symptom can diagnose a person as schizophrenic, but rather the collection of multiple symptoms which persist for a prolonged period of time. Symptoms of schizophrenia are divided into two categories, positive and negative. These categories define how the symptoms are defined and treated.
Schizophrenia is a chronic brain disorders that affect the way people think, act, their emotions, their daily activities, and their personal tranquility. There is no cure for schizophrenia, but it can be managed with proper treatment. People with schizophrenia may hear voices or they might feel that someone wants to hurt them, they might also have hallucinations. Schizophrenia affects the brain, which alters cognition and contributes to other major problems for instance, the person might have paranoia, delusions, and poor emotional responsiveness. Brain volume, gray matter and withe matter volume in the brain of a person with this disease is reduced compared to healthy people. Scientist believes that schizophrenia runs in families with schizophrenia
Approximately 22% of the American population suffers from some kind of mental disorder at any given time. (Passer and Smith, 2004) Schizophrenia is one of the most serious of these mental disorders, and there are many different kinds of treatment. While all mental disorders offer diagnosis and treatment challenges, few are more challenging than schizophrenia. It is both bizarre and puzzling, and has been described as “one of the most challenging disorders to treat effectively.” (Passer and Smith, 2004, 534)
I chose to write my research paper over Schizophrenia. It is a psychological disorder that I have always found fascinating. It is a serious disorder that consumes a person's life and is nearly impossible to control. In this paper, I will talk about the definition of Schizophrenia, the diagnosis of Schizophrenia, Schizophrenia in children, suicide, sexually related characteristics of the disease, sleep disorders caused by the disease, differences in the disease on different ethnicities, and insensitivity to pain.
Aim: The aim of this experiment was to explore the synergistic effects of heritability and environment in the cases of two brothers with schizophrenia.