- Environmental a. d. numbers of individuals from the lower socioeconomic Anatomical Abnormalities. level (or fail to rise out of a lower socioeconomic group). ing technologies, structural brain abnormalities have been observed in individuals with schizophrenia. Ventricular enlargement is the most consistent fiemployment and “drift down” to a lower socioeconomic enlargement and cerebellar atrophy are also reported.mine receptors, or a combination of these mechanisms (Sadock & Sadock, 2007).increased production or release of the substance at nerve Sociocultural Factors. with schizophrenia have diffithat have attempted to link schizophrenia to social class. Indeed, epidemiological statistics have shown that greater terminals, increased receptor sensitivity, too many dopa-classes experience symptoms associated with schizophre-nia than do those from the higher socioeconomic groups (Ho, Black, & Andreasen, 2003). This may occur as a result of the conditions associated with living in poverty, such as congested housing accommodations, inadequate nutrition, absence of prenatal care, few resources for deal-ing with stressful situations, and feelings of hopelessness for changing one’s lifestyle of poverty.characteristic symptoms of the disorder, individuals hypothesis. Proponents of this notion view poor social conditions as An alternative view is that of the This hypothesis suggests that, because of the Many studies have been conducted With the use of neuroimag- culty maintaining gainful nding; however, sulci downward drift
Symptomatology 1. only the individual can understand.may take on special meaning of a highly symbolic nature that chosis may create his or her own world. Words and events b. Autism.evidence to indicate that stress causes schizophrenia. It is very probable, however, that stress contributes to the se-verity and course of the illness. It is known that extreme stress can precipitate psychotic episodes. Stress may a consequence rather than a cause of schizophrenia.sesses a genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia. Stressful life events may be associated with exacerbation of schizo-phrenic symptoms and increased rates of relapse.effort to determine whether psychotic episodes may be precipitated by stressful life events. There is no scientifiStressful Life Events.indeed precipitate symptoms in an individual who pos- There is a focus inward. The individual with psy-(Subjective/Objective Data) Studies have been conducted in an c
108 ●^ ALTERATIONS IN PSYCHOSOCIAL ADAPTATION
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