Interactionist Approach

Question 1

What does the interactionist suggest ?

Answer 1

Sz is due to combination of biological , psychological and social factors this is known as the diathesis stress model

Question 2

Diathesis and stress

Answer 2

Diathesis = vunrability (at risk)

Stress = negative psychological experience

Question 3

Meehls Original model

Answer 3

Diathesis entirely genetic

Down to a single ‘schizo- gene’

stress through childhood szm could lead to sz

Question 4

Modern explanation of diathesis

Answer 4

Now believed many genes increase genetic vunrability to sz (polygenic)

Factors other than genes can be diathesis such as psychological

E.g child abuse affects aspects of brain development

Can make a person more vunreble to stress late in life

Question 5

Modern explanation for stress

Answer 5

Anything that risk triggering sz not just parenting

Question 6

Link between cannabis and sz

Answer 6

Most recent research has concerned cannabis use

Increase risk of sz by up to 7 x

Due to interference with dopamine system

But suggests must be more than one vunrability factor

Question 7

Treating sz the diathesis stress model

Answer 7

If sz is due to diathesis and stress makes sense to use treatment process that uses combination of therapies

Combination of AP (to release dopamine) and psychological therapies commonly CBT

In Uk treatments such such as CBT, family therapy , and drug therapy often combine to target diathesis and stress

Question 8

Interactionist approach Ao3 (s)

Answer 8

RTS Tienari et al

Followed 19000 adopted children whose mother had sz compared to the control group of adopted children w/o any genetic risk

Those brought up in families with a lot of conflict and low empathy more likely to develop sz but only in children who had genetic vulnerability

Suggest both genetic vunrability and family related stress are important in development of sz

Increasing validity of interactionist approach to explaining sz

Question 9

Interactionist approach Ao3 strength

Answer 9

Tarrier et al 315 patients allocated to treatment conditions

Found patients given combined therapy of medication and CBT has lower symptom levels than control group with just 1 treatments

Suggests by adopting interactionist approach and using combination of biological and psychological therapies,

Patients sz will be treated more effectively

Increasing validity of interactionist approach in treating sz

Question 10

Interactionist approach Ao3 limitation

Answer 10

Limitation to treating/explaining sz is that there are individual diffrences

E.g two people may have same vunrability and stressor but one may not develop sz

This means we do not have a full understanding of interactionist between diatheais and stress in explaining sz

Thus more research need to be conducted to increase credibility of interactionist approach