1. Happy families? In which ways might a person’s family contribute to their mental illness? Hint: all the approaches could implicate the family in some way

2. Today’s session You will learn aboutContext The role of the family in causing mental illness Schizophrenia

3. Family Systems Theory Origins in: The psychoanalytical tradition Systems thinking

4. Family System M F C1C1 C2C2 C3C3 A family can be seen as a set of entities, each interacting with all the others. The behaviour of each entity can only be understood by looking at its relationships with the others

5. Family System If one person starts to behave abnormally the problem might not lie within that person M F C1C1 C2C2 C3C3 Their behaviour may be a manifestation of a problem occurring within the wider family system C2C2

6. Still in role?

7. Double Bind Theory (Bateson, 1956) Schizophrenia is a consequence of abnormal patterns in family communication One member becomes ‘ill’ to protect the stability of the family system

8. Double Bind Theory In a double bind situation a person is given mutually contradictory signals by another person This places them in an impossible situation, causing internal conflict Schizophrenic symptoms represent an attempt to escape from the double bind

9. Still in role?

10. Let’s evaluate… Bateson relied heavily on case studies, clinical interviews and observations for his evidence

11. Let’s evaluate… The families of schizophrenia patients often show signs of disturbance but this raises issues of cause and effect

12. Let’s evaluate… Family-based approaches to schizophrenia raise ethical issues

13. Still in role?

14. Expressed emotion Evidence for a causal role for the family in schizophrenia is lacking. However, some researchers have found that the family may play a role in schizophrenia relapse

15. Expressed emotion What are the features of high expressed emotion? What happens in family therapy? Does family therapy work?

16. Happy families? One person in each family had the role of keeping everyone happy. This person was also the target of criticism and over-involvement from the other family members. What was it like?