“Schizophrenia” Part I: A Gestalt Analysis and Critique of Genetic Variables

Abstract

Schizophrenia is an enigmatic diagnosis, and the etiology of the illness is not well understood. A large body of research has investigated the genetic factors underlying schizophrenia in hope of a genotype-based etiological explanation for the schizophrenic phenotype. This first article in a five-part series reviews and explores the current and historical genetic research on the diagnosis, and questions the assumption that genetic variables hold the explanatory key for unlocking the development of the disorder. The authors of this article posit that the Gestalt therapy treatment model is an effective treatment, given the disparate factors contributing to the clinical presentation.