Introduction

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511544064.001

1 - Introduction

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 December 2009

Kwame McKenzie and

Edited by

Kwame McKenzie and

Craig Morgan: Affiliation:
Section of Social and Cultural Psychiatry, Health Service and Population Research Department Box 33, Institute of Psychiatry De Crespigny Park, London, UK
Kwame McKenzie: Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health Sciences, University College, London (Hampstead Campus), Rowland Hill Street, London, UK
Paul Fearon: Affiliation:
Section of Epidemiology and Social Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine Box 63, Institute of Psychiatry De Crespigny Park, London, UK
Craig Morgan: Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London
Kwame McKenzie: Affiliation:
University College London
Paul Fearon: Affiliation:
Trinity College, Dublin

Book contents

Get access

Summary

Psychiatry has recently rediscovered its roots. It seemed as if its long history of interest in the impact of society on the rates and course of serious mental illness had been forgotten, overtaken by the inexorable advance of neuroscience and genetics. However, as our knowledge of the physiological and genetic processes linked to psychosis has advanced, it has become increasingly clear that social conditions and experiences over the life course are important in the aetiology of psychosis. Old dichotomies and controversies are giving way to genuinely integrated models, in which social, psychological and biological factors are seen to interact over time, culminating in the onset of psychosis. The influence of society extends beyond onset to shape course and outcome, with important implications for public policy and service delivery. In this context, it is useful to take stock of what is currently known about the links between society and psychosis, limitations to this knowledge, unanswered questions and future research priorities. Society and Psychosis aims to do this.

Categories and continua

There have been many attempts to define psychosis. Wing (1978), for example, gave a relatively narrow description: ‘A ‘psychotic’ state is one characterised by delusions or hallucinations, in which the individual is unable to differentiate his grossly abnormal thought processes from external reality and remains unaware of his deficiency.’ (pp. 44–5.) Less restrictive definitions include hallucinatory experiences that the sufferer realises are abnormal and, more broadly still, others include disorganised speech and grossly disorganised behaviour (APA, 1994).

Keywords

affective disorders Diagnostic and Statistical Manual grief reactions International Classification of Diseases schizophrenia schizophrenia spectrum disorders psychosis psychotic disorders social environment

Information

Type: Chapter
Information: Society and Psychosis , pp. 1 - 10
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511544064.001 [Opens in a new window]
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Book purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

American Psychiatric Association (1994). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edn. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

Andreasen, N. (2000). Schizophrenia: the fundamental questions. Brain Research Reviews, 31, 106–12.Google Scholar

Bentall, R. (2003). Madness Explained: Psychosis and Human Nature. London: Allen Lane.

Cantor-Graae, E. and Selten, J. P. (2005). Schizophrenia and migration: a meta-analysis and review. American Journal of Psychiatry, 162 (1), 12–24.Google Scholar

Crow, T. J. (2000). Schizophrenia as the price that Homo sapiens pays for language: a resolution of the central paradox in the origin of the species. Brain Research Reviews, 31, 118–29.Google Scholar

Engel, G. L. (1980). The clinical application of the biopsychosocial model. American Journal of Psychiatry, 137, 535–44.Google Scholar

Jablensky, A., Sartorius, N., Ernberg, G.et al. (1992). Schizophrenia: manifestations, incidence and course in different cultures. A World Health Organization ten-country study. Psychological Medicine. Monograph Supplement, 20, 1–97.Google Scholar

Janssen, I., Krabbendam, L., Bak, M.et al. (2004). Childhood abuse as a risk factor for psychosis. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 109, 38–45.Google Scholar

Jones, P. B., Barnes, T. R. E., Davies, L.et al. (2006). Randomized controlled trial of the effect on quality of life of second- vs first-generation antipsychotic drugs in schizophrenia: cost utility of the latest antipsychotic drugs in schizophrenia study (CUtLASS 1). Archives of General Psychiatry, 63, 1079–87.Google Scholar

Kavanagh, N. (1992). Recent developments in Expressed Emotion and schizophrenia. British Journal of Psychiatry, 160, 601–20.Google Scholar

Kleinman, A. (1991). Rethinking Psychiatry: From Cultural Category to Personal Experience. New York: The Free Press.

Kuipers, E., Leff, J. and Lam, D. (2002). Family Work for Schizophrenia: A Practical Guide, 2nd edn. London: Gaskell.

Kuipers, E., Garety, P., Fowler, D.et al. (2006). Cognitive, emotional, and social processes in psychosis: refining cognitive behavioural therapy for persistent positive symptoms. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 32 (suppl. 1), s24–s31.Google Scholar

Leff, J. and Warner, R. (2006). Social Inclusion of People with Mental Illness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Lieberman, J. A. and First, M. B. (2007). Renaming schizophrenia. British Medical Journal, 334, 108.Google Scholar

Lieberman, J. A., Stroup, T. S., McEvoy, J. P.et al. (2005). Effectiveness of antipsychotic drugs in patients with chronic schizophrenia. New England Journal of Medicine, 353 (12), 1209–23.Google Scholar

McGrath, J. (2007). The surprisingly rich contours of schizophrenia epidemiology. Archives of General Psychiatry, 64, 14–15.Google Scholar

McGrath, J., Saha, S., Wellham, J.et al. (2004). A systematic review of the incidence of schizophrenia: the distribution of rates and the influence of sex, urbanicity, migrant status, and methodology. BMC Medicine, 2, 13.Google Scholar

McKenzie, K. and Harpham, T. (eds) (2006). Social Capital and Mental Health. London: Jessica Kingsley.

Menezes, N. M., Arenovich, T. and Zipursky, R. B. (2006). A systematic review of longitudinal outcome studies of first-episode psychosis. Psychological Medicine, 36 (10), 1349–62.Google Scholar

Patel, V., Cohen, A., Thara, R.et al. (2006). Is the outcome of schizophrenia really better in developing countries? Revista Brasileira Psiquiatria, 28 (2), 129–52.Google Scholar

Pedersen, C. and Mortensen, P. (2001). Evidence of a dose-response relationship between urbanicity during upbringing and schizophrenia risk. Archives of General Psychiatry, 58, 1039–46.Google Scholar

Read, J., Os, J., Morrison, A. P. et al. (2005). Childhood trauma, psychosis and schizophrenia: a literature review with theoretical and clinical implications. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 112, 330–50.Google Scholar

Spauwen, J., Krabbendam, L., Lieb, R.et al. (2006). Impact of psychological trauma on the development of psychotic symptoms: relationship with psychosis proneness. British Journal of Psychiatry, 188, 527–33.Google Scholar

Teicher, M. H., Andersen, S. L., Polcari, A.et al. (2003). The neurobiological consequences of early stress and childhood maltreatment. Neuroscience and Behavioral Reviews, 27, 33–44.Google Scholar

Os, J. (2004). Does the urban environment cause psychosis? British Journal of Psychiatry, 184, 287–8.Google Scholar

Os, J., Hanssen, M., Bijl, R.et al. (2000). Strauss (1969) revisited: a psychosis continuum in the general population? Schizophrenia Research, 45, 11–20.Google Scholar

Verdoux, H. and Os, J. (2002). Psychotic symptoms in non-clinical populations and the continuum of psychosis. Schizophrenia Research, 54 (1–2), 59–65.Google Scholar

Warner, R. (2000). The Environment of Schizophrenia. London: Routledge.

Wing, J. (1978). Reasoning about Madness. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Wing, J. and Brown, G. (1970). Institutionalism and Schizophrenia. London: Cambridge University Press.

World Health Organization (1992). The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders (International Classification of Diseases), 10th edn. Geneva: World Health Organization.

Accessibility standard: Unknown

Why this information is here

This section outlines the accessibility features of this content - including support for screen readers, full keyboard navigation and high-contrast display options. This may not be relevant for you.

Accessibility Information

Accessibility compliance for the PDF of this chapter is currently unknown and may be updated in the future.