David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
Schizophrenia: Psychological and Social Factors and Treatments
December 11, 2007
As we've reported in the past, research is revealing the specific aspects of family and environmental stress that interact continually over time with a biologically predisposed brain to produce schizophrenia.
Related to this topic, Researcher William McFarlane, M.D., a Maine Medical Center-based researcher we've mentioned before, was recently awarded the APA/American Psychiatric Foundation 2007 Alexander Gralnick Award for Research in Schizophrenia. After receiving the award, Dr. McFarlane presented a lecture, titled "Biosocial Treatment of Schizophrenia". In his lecture Dr. McFarlane made some interesting points on the subject of the development and outcomes in schizophrenia. Some of his points are very relevant to past findings we've covered. Here's a summary:
Dr. McFarlane discussed the fact that it is now known that schizophrenia is a disorder that develops overtime as a result of genetic / biological and environmental factors. So for example, if a child already has a genetic risk or family history of schizophrenia and/or other mental illnesses, certain environmental experiences (such as a home environment that is frequently highly emotional, or judgemental), combine with these genetic susceptibilities and result in the development of mental disorders.
One important point that Dr. McFarlane stressed was that:
Dr. McFarlane further explained that continuous triggers can combine with inherent susceptibilities to mental disorders and result in the development and then worsening of prognosis after development of mental disorders. A model Dr. McFarlane used, that he believes does a good job of explaining this relationship, is that of a helix; that is, the cause and effect are closely entwined.
The key message here is that the psychological and social environment affects the biology of a person and vice-versa, so that both are in constant, continual interaction. This idea brings up the issue of less controllable versus more controllable factors of a mental disorder.
For example, the genetic vulnerability to a mental disorder isn't controllable, but certain environmental factors are: One of the most widely examined continual environmental triggers of mental illness and as mentioned above is the frequent experience of a highly emotional environment. In an attempt to combat this problem, researchers have studied preventative methods and found that adopting the growth, mindset approach is one way to effectively control stress factors in the environment. (Stress is known to increase the likelihood of the development of mental disorders.)
Dr. McFarlane also emphasized the importance of psychoeducation, stating that psychoeducational "...groups are designed to empower family members with information about the disease and the kind of social interactions that can exacerbate symptoms in the affected family member...In highly structured sessions, multifamily groups are taught specific strategies for lowering anxiety, conflict, and expressed emotion."
Read the full Article Summarizing Dr. McFarlane's Speech:
Psychosocial Interventions Beneficial in Schizophrenia. (Psychiatric News)
Related Reading:
December 11, 2007
As we've reported in the past, research is revealing the specific aspects of family and environmental stress that interact continually over time with a biologically predisposed brain to produce schizophrenia.
Related to this topic, Researcher William McFarlane, M.D., a Maine Medical Center-based researcher we've mentioned before, was recently awarded the APA/American Psychiatric Foundation 2007 Alexander Gralnick Award for Research in Schizophrenia. After receiving the award, Dr. McFarlane presented a lecture, titled "Biosocial Treatment of Schizophrenia". In his lecture Dr. McFarlane made some interesting points on the subject of the development and outcomes in schizophrenia. Some of his points are very relevant to past findings we've covered. Here's a summary:
Dr. McFarlane discussed the fact that it is now known that schizophrenia is a disorder that develops overtime as a result of genetic / biological and environmental factors. So for example, if a child already has a genetic risk or family history of schizophrenia and/or other mental illnesses, certain environmental experiences (such as a home environment that is frequently highly emotional, or judgemental), combine with these genetic susceptibilities and result in the development of mental disorders.
One important point that Dr. McFarlane stressed was that:
"a decade's worth of research on microcomponents of environmental stress affirms the genetic nature of schizophrenia and does nothing to revive long-discredited theories blaming families or "schizophrenogenic" mothers. Time and again research has shown that family and environmental stressors — encompassing very subtle interactions common to many families — work only in tandem with biological determinants to produce psychosis [and schizophrenia]."
Dr. McFarlane discussed that even until recently, environmental triggers were thought of as discrete events, current research demonstrates that some environmental triggers are continuous. (An example of a "continuous" environmental trigger might be again, a family environment where there is frequent highly emotion levels, high anxiety and conflict (or judgement and pressure) and therefore significant levels of stress in the home). Dr. McFarlane further explained that continuous triggers can combine with inherent susceptibilities to mental disorders and result in the development and then worsening of prognosis after development of mental disorders. A model Dr. McFarlane used, that he believes does a good job of explaining this relationship, is that of a helix; that is, the cause and effect are closely entwined.
The key message here is that the psychological and social environment affects the biology of a person and vice-versa, so that both are in constant, continual interaction. This idea brings up the issue of less controllable versus more controllable factors of a mental disorder.
For example, the genetic vulnerability to a mental disorder isn't controllable, but certain environmental factors are: One of the most widely examined continual environmental triggers of mental illness and as mentioned above is the frequent experience of a highly emotional environment. In an attempt to combat this problem, researchers have studied preventative methods and found that adopting the growth, mindset approach is one way to effectively control stress factors in the environment. (Stress is known to increase the likelihood of the development of mental disorders.)
Dr. McFarlane also emphasized the importance of psychoeducation, stating that psychoeducational "...groups are designed to empower family members with information about the disease and the kind of social interactions that can exacerbate symptoms in the affected family member...In highly structured sessions, multifamily groups are taught specific strategies for lowering anxiety, conflict, and expressed emotion."
Read the full Article Summarizing Dr. McFarlane's Speech:
Psychosocial Interventions Beneficial in Schizophrenia. (Psychiatric News)
Related Reading:
- How to Prevent Schizophrenia - Strategies and Tactics
- Schizophrenia: The Value of Realizing Risk Factors Before Becoming a Parent
- Social Stress Factors in the Development of Schizophrenia: A Review of Recent Findings
- Child and Teen Brains Very Sensitive to Stress, Likely a Key Factor in Mental Illness
- A Healthy Family Social Environment May Reduce Schizophrenia Risk by 86% for High Genetic Risk Groups
- How Stress in Early in Life Changes Stress Response for Many Years Afterward
