Interactionist Approach Flashcards
What is the interactionist approach?
Known as the biosocial approach, combines biological, psychological and societal factors as influential factors of SZ
Pyscho factor?
Stresses of every day life
Bio factor?
Genetic vulnerability and neurological abnormalities
What does the diathesis stress model suggest?
That both a vulnerability to Sz and a stress like trigger can make a person more vulnerable to developing Sz
What is Meehl’s model?
Vulnerability was genetic as a result of the Schizogene and this lead to the schizotypic personality where a characteristic included sensitivity to stress
Assumption of Meehl?
No amount of stress will lead to Sz if you do not have the gene
Modern take of Meehl model? Luxton
That trauma can in fact become the diathesis- the vulnerability rather than the stressor
Read?
Provided a neurodevelopmental model which highlighted how an early trauma can affect the brain’s development and make them more vulnerable to stress in later life
What is the modern day understanding of stress?
Anything that can trigger Sz
What drug can be regarded as a stressor?
Cannabis- it can reduce the chances of developing Sz by 7 times as it interferes with the dopamine system
What form of treatment would the model recommend?
Anti-psychotic drugs alongside psychological treatment such as CBT
Turkington?
Cannot believe in biological causes and psychological treatments- cannot tell someone there disorder has no psychological relevance and then treat with CBT
What is unusual regarding treatments?
Psychological treatment alone
What is a bio criticism of Meehl’s model?
Multiple genes increase the vulnerability to Sz each having a small effect of its own- suggesting that there is no single schizogene that causes Sz
What is a criticism of Meehl’s view on psychological factors?
Stress can come in many forms and may not be family stress for example - trauma is important for example Houston said child abuse can trigger the disorder
How is the model outdated?
Seeing diathesis as biological and stress as psychological is outdated- new models consider this
What does the interactionist approach present a lack of understanding towards?
How Sz symptoms are caused by diathesis and stress
Fallacy around treatment?
Just because drugs work well together does not necessarily mean the interactionist approach is correct- just because drugs work does not mean it is biological
Supporting evidence for role of vulnerability and triggers?
Tienari Et. A. (2004): Adopted children from families with schizophrenia had more chance of developing the illness than children from normal families. This supports 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
Falloon?
stress – such as divorce or bereavement, causes the brain to be flooded with neurotransmitters which brings on the acute episode.
Brown and Birley
50% people who had an acute schizophrenic episode had experienced a major life event in 3 weeks prior.
