Interactionist Approach

Question 1

What is the interactionist approach?

Answer 1

Known as the biosocial approach, combines biological, psychological and societal factors as influential factors of SZ

Question 2

Pyscho factor?

Answer 2

Stresses of every day life

Question 3

Bio factor?

Answer 3

Genetic vulnerability and neurological abnormalities

Question 4

What does the diathesis stress model suggest?

Answer 4

That both a vulnerability to Sz and a stress like trigger can make a person more vulnerable to developing Sz

Question 5

What is Meehl’s model?

Answer 5

Vulnerability was genetic as a result of the Schizogene and this lead to the schizotypic personality where a characteristic included sensitivity to stress

Question 6

Assumption of Meehl?

Answer 6

No amount of stress will lead to Sz if you do not have the gene

Question 7

Modern take of Meehl model? Luxton

Answer 7

That trauma can in fact become the diathesis- the vulnerability rather than the stressor

Question 8

Read?

Answer 8

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

Question 9

What is the modern day understanding of stress?

Answer 9

Anything that can trigger Sz

Question 10

What drug can be regarded as a stressor?

Answer 10

Cannabis- it can reduce the chances of developing Sz by 7 times as it interferes with the dopamine system

Question 11

What form of treatment would the model recommend?

Answer 11

Anti-psychotic drugs alongside psychological treatment such as CBT

Question 12

Turkington?

Answer 12

Cannot believe in biological causes and psychological treatments- cannot tell someone there disorder has no psychological relevance and then treat with CBT

Question 13

What is unusual regarding treatments?

Answer 13

Psychological treatment alone

Question 14

What is a bio criticism of Meehl’s model?

Answer 14

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

Question 15

What is a criticism of Meehl’s view on psychological factors?

Answer 15

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

Question 16

How is the model outdated?

Answer 16

Seeing diathesis as biological and stress as psychological is outdated- new models consider this

Question 17

What does the interactionist approach present a lack of understanding towards?

Answer 17

How Sz symptoms are caused by diathesis and stress

Question 18

Fallacy around treatment?

Answer 18

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

Question 19

Supporting evidence for role of vulnerability and triggers?

Answer 19

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

Question 20

Falloon?

Answer 20

stress – such as divorce or bereavement, causes the brain to be flooded with neurotransmitters which brings on the acute episode.

Question 21

Brown and Birley

Answer 21

50% people who had an acute schizophrenic episode had experienced a major life event in 3 weeks prior.