Interactionist Approach Flashcards
What does the interactionist approach acknowledge?
The interactionist approach acknowledges that there are biological, psychological and environmental factors that may lead to schizophrenia
Biological factors would include? (three points)
- Genetic vulnerability
- Neurochemical abnormality
- Neurological abnormality
Psychological factors would include: (two points)
- stress (life events + daily hassles)
- poor quality of interactions in families
What model explains the interactionist approach?
The diathesis - stress model
What does diathesis mean?
What does “stress” refer to?
Diathesis means vulnerability and stress refers to a negative psychological experience
What does the diathesis - stress model state?
The diathesis - stress model says that both a vulnerability to schizophrenia and a stress - trigger are necessary in order to develop the condition
What does the original diathesis stress model state?
The original model states diathesis is genetic, resulting from a single ‘schizogene’.
Additionally, those who carry this gene and experience chronic stress through childhood and adolescence, tend to develop this condition
What does the modern diathesis - stress model state?
Use an example to explain the model (Read et al.)
The modern model states that diathesis can be caused by multiple genes, so there is no single ‘schizogene’.
It is also stated, diathesis could be a range of factors beyond genetic, including psychological trauma. As a result, trauma becomes diathesis rather than a stressor.
For example, early trauma could alter the developing brain. Read et al proposes child abuse can affect brain development such as causing the hypothalamic - pituitary adrenal system to become overactive, making the person much more vulnerable to later stress
Focusing on the stress aspect, the modern model states that stress could be anything that risks triggering schizophrenia
What are three examples of vulnerability to schizophrenia and stress related factors? (Need at least one of each to fully explain)
Vulnerability to Schizophrenia
1. Genetic inheritance - there is no single gene that leads to schizophrenia, just many genes that increase the likelihood for the disease to develop
- Prenatal factors (Murray finding children born after having their mothers contract during pregnancy were more likely to develop schizophrenia, as the exposure to the flu was suspected to cause brain structural differences)
- Predisposing neural correlates
Stress related factors
1. Expressed emotion in family
- Childhood abuse
- Schizophrenogenic mother
Describe interactions treatments:
Compare UK & USA
The interactionist approach acknowledges both biological and psychological factors, allowing compatibility for both biological and psychological treatments. For example, antipsychotics and CBT
In the US, it is more common to give medication without any psychological treatment due to the conflict in beliefs about the causes of the illness.
Whereas, in the UK, it is more common for a combination of antipsychotic drugs and CBT to be used
What is the last factor an individual should have in order to develop schizophrenia?
In addition, to the combination of biological and psychological factors, an individual must have weak coping mechanism for schizophrenia to develop
What is a limitation of the interactionist approach? (confusion from patient about effects of drug treatment)
A limitation of the interactionist approach is the downside that combining treatments can have on patients.
Patients receiving CBT sometimes interpret the side effects of drug treatment in a delusional manner, increasing their mistrust and resistance to further treatment.
This shows how this treatment type is an inappropriate treatment option.
Patients would have accumulated costs and wasted their time to only end up worsened from treatment, needing more serious care, a big disadvantage to their family and theirselves
What is an limitation point of the interactionist approach? (treatment causation fallacy error)
It can be argued that the combination of biological and psychological treatments is more effective.
Reviewing drug therapy or psychological therapies by themselves, the combined method of treatment proves more effective.
However, Turkington argues that people often make the error of thinking that this means the interactionist approach is the most correct explanation for schizophrenia.
He argues that it is wrong to think like this, referring to this thought process as the treatment - causation fallacy error
It is difficult to establish the cause of schizophrenia when using an interactionist treatment
What is a strength of the interactionist approach? (high/low risk groups + history of schizophrenia)
Tienari et al researched into 19 000 Finnish children whose biological mums had schizophrenia, considered a high risk group.
In adulthood, this group were compared to a control group of adoptees without a family history of schizophrenia, considered a low risk group.
It was found that schizophrenia was more likely to develop in the high risk group if their adoptive parents had been showing high levels of criticism, hostility and low levels of empathy.
This shows interactional factors may contribute to schizophrenia
What is a strength of the interactionist approach? (treatments + conditions + practical application)
Tarrier et al allocated 315 participants to three different conditions. Condition one consisted of medication and CBT treatment, condition two consisted of medication and counselling and condition three consisted of medication only. Results found that participants in conditions one and two showed reduced symptoms following the trial. This shows a clear practical application for the use of the interactionist approach to schizophrenia.
