interactionist approach Flashcards
What factors does the interactionist approach acknowledge?
Biological - genetic and neurochemical
Psychological - stress, poor quality family life
Societal
What is the diathesis stress model?
Diathesis = vulnerability
Stress is a negative experience
Both are necessary
Explain Meehl’s model
Diathesis is genetic - the schizogene
Developed into schizotypic personality - characteristic of this is sensitivity to stress
Without schizogene stress does not cause SZ
How has our understanding of diathesis changed?
More genes, not a single schizogene
Not just genetic - psychological trauma can be a diathesis
Read - neurodevelopmental model where early trauma alters brain, eg child abuse
Hypothalamic pituitary adrenal system can become overactive due to trauma, making person more vulnerable to stress
How has our understanding of stress changed?
Stress doesn’t have to be psychological
Cannabis increases SZ risk up to 7 times according to dose
Interferes with dopamine system
Most smokers don’t develop SZ so there must be vulnerability factors
What treatment is possible according to interactionist model?
Both bio and psych factors so these treatments are relevant
Combo of antipsychotics and CBT
What did Turkington suggest about treatment?
Possible to believe bio explanations and practice CBT treatment
Requires interactionist model - can’t tell patients it’s bio and treat them with CBT
What is the standard treatment in the UK?
Combo of antipsychotics and CBT
What is the standard treatment in the US?
History of conflict between psych and bio models
Slower adoption of interactionist model
More common to have medication without CBT
Is schizophrenia treated by psychological treatments alone?
Unusual
Usually carried out with antipsychotics
Evaluation - evidence for role of vulnerability and triggers
Tienari looked at children adopted from schizophrenic mothers
Adoptive parents child rearing style assessed, rates of SZ compared to control
High levels of criticism = development of SZ but only for those with genetic risk, not control
Genetic vulnerability and family stress important
Evaluation - original model over simple
Multiple genes involved
Stress comes in many forms
Houston - childhood sexual trauma = vulnerability factor, cannabis was trigger
Evaluation - support for effectiveness of combos of treatments
Tarrier - 315 patients allocated to medication + CBT, medication + supportive counselling, control group (medication only)
Patients in combo groups had lower symptom levels than control
Evaluation - we don’t know how diathesis and stress work
Don’t fully understand mechanisms how vulnerability and stress produce SZ symptoms
Incomplete model
Evaluation - treatment causation fallacy
Combined treatment does not mean interactionist approach is correct
Drugs helping does not mean it’s bio
