Interactionist Approach

Question 1

What does the diathesis-stress model state?

Answer 1

That both a vulnerability to SZ and a stress tiffer are necessary to develop the condition

Question 2

What do Zubin and Spring suggest?

Answer 2

that a person may be born with a predisposition towards schizophrenia which is then triggered by stress in everyday life. But if they have a supportive environment and/or good coping skills the illness may not develop

Question 3

What do the concordance rates suggest?

Answer 3

that environmental factors must also play a role in the development of SZ. MZ twins may have the same genetic vulnerability but can be triggered by different stressors

Question 4

What did Tienari et al. (2004) find?

Answer 4

• Adopted children from families with schizophrenia had more chance of developing the illness than children from normal families

Question 5

What did Tienari et al.’s study support?

Answer 5

a genetic link. However, those children from families schizophrenia were less likely to develop the illness if placed in a “good” family with kind relationships, empathy, security, etc. So environment does play a part in triggering the illness.

Question 6

What is a criticism of the interactionist approach?

Answer 6

Holistic – Identifies that patients have different triggers, genes etc. – Patients can receive different treatments for their SZ which will be more effective.

Question 7

What is suggested about substance abuse?

Answer 7

Amphetamine and Cannabis and other drugs have also been identified as triggers as they affect serotonin and glutamate levels

Question 8

What did Vasos find?

Answer 8

Found the risk of schizophrenia was 2.37 times greater in cities than it was in the countryside, probably due to stress levels

Question 9

What did Hickling find?

Answer 9

the stress of urban living made African-Carribean immigrants in Britain 8 to 10 times more likely to experience schizophrenia