Question

Which of the following are some environmental factors in the development of schizophrenia?
Correct Answer(s)
Being born and raised in an urban environment doubles one’s risk of developing schizophrenia.
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Being brought up by a mother who simultaneously rejects and accepts her child has been linked to schizophrenia.
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Contracting a virus may play a role in the development of schizophrenia.
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Growing up in volatile and dysfunctional families leads to increased risk for developing schizophrenia regardless of one’s predisposition for the disorder.
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Incorrect Answer(s)

Answer 1

Correct:
- Being born and raised in an urban environment doubles one’s risk of developing schizophrenia. — True. Multiple studies find a dose–response association between urbanicity in childhood and increased schizophrenia risk.
- Contracting a virus may play a role in the development of schizophrenia. — True. Prenatal or early-life infections (e.g., maternal influenza, other viral exposures) are linked to higher risk.

Incorrect:
- Being brought up by a mother who simultaneously rejects and accepts her child has been linked to schizophrenia. — False as a causal factor. The old “schizophrenogenic mother”/double‑bind idea is not supported by modern evidence.
- Growing up in volatile and dysfunctional families leads to increased risk for developing schizophrenia regardless of one’s predisposition for the disorder. — False. High family stress/expressed emotion worsens course and increases relapse risk, but it is not shown to reliably cause schizophrenia in people without a biological/genetic vulnerability.