Social psychology and group dynamics

Meet the patient

A 19-year-old man is two weeks into recovery from a first episode of psychosis. At the discharge family meeting his father, who has barely slept in months, says the patient "could snap out of it if he really tried" and that the flatness is "just laziness". The patient goes quiet.^[8][11]

Last weekend on the ward this same patient stopped eating and grew withdrawn. Three nurses each noticed, each documented the concern, and each assumed someone else would escalate. Nobody did until Monday.^[3]

Two exam questions are live on this ward round, and both are social psychology: why does this family's tone predict relapse? and why did three competent nurses each stay silent? Answer them and you change what happens at the next discharge and the next weekend.^[9][3]

References16ShowHide

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