Outline and compare some of the different explanations for the cause of Schizophrenia. Include discussion of the nature of the evidence for each explanation considered.
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The exact cause of schizophrenia is still unknown and scientists are certain that schizophrenia has more than one cause. There have been dozens of different explanations for the cause of schizophrenia; one states that brain abnormalities and chemicals in the brain contribute to the development of schizophrenia (Hemmings, 1989), while another argues that a person's environment and early experiences within relationships causes schizophrenia (Faraone, 1997). The arguments for each of the above account's are convincing and may be undeniable, but most scientists and theorists agree with the genetic explanation for the cause of schizophrenia, which with an underlying genetic predisposition or vulnerability the individual is more likely to develop a schizophrenic disorder (Smith, 1993). This essay aims to outline and compare the genetic, bio-chemical and environmental explanations for the cause of schizophrenia, as well as discussing the evidence for each explanation considered.
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It has been known by scientists and doctors that schizophrenia runs in families. The genetic explanation for the cause of schizophrenia argues that schizophrenia is caused by traits in a person's genetic make up. As known, a person has twenty-three pairs of chromosomes; each contains one chromosome from each parent. In corresponding locations, called loci, of each chromosome, the genes for specific traits are located (Hemmings, 1989). Some researchers believe that problems with these genes, which are either from mutated chromosomes, or recessive genes, provide the explanation for the cause of schizophrenia.
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The genetic explanation for the cause of schizophrenia has been supported by studies of 1) relatives of people with schizophrenia who are adopted, 2) twins with this disorder, 3) people with schizophrenia that are adopted and, 4) chromosomal mapping.
