Interactionist approach to schizophrenia

Question 1

Interactionist approach - overview

Answer 1

• A biosocial approach
• Diathesis stress model of explaining SZ combines bio, psych and social/environmental influences
• Diathesis = genetic vulnerability, neurochemical or neuroanatomical
• Stress = life events, daily hassles, poor quality family interactions
• Biological vulnerability is necessary but onset of SZ is triggered by stress

Question 2

Diathesis stress model - Modern views of explaining SZ

Answer 2

• Not caused by a single gene but a group of genes which slightly increase vulnerability to SZ
• It’s not entirely genetic - non genetic factors include: early psychological trauma e.g child abuse
• Hypothalamic pituitary adrenal system becomes overactive which increases vulnerability to stress later in life
• Research has found that an identical twin of an SZ sufferer is at greater risk of SZ than siblings - adoptive relatives don’t share increased risk of biological relatives - 50% discordance indicates a role for environmental factors

Question 3

Understanding of stress

Answer 3

• Defined as anything that triggers SZ - e.g cannabis give a 7x more likely risk - it affects the dopamine system
• Childhood trauma before age 16 - 3x more likely to develop SZ
• The relationship between these is unclear

Question 4

Treatment according to the interactionist approach

Answer 4

• Combine biological and psychological treatments
• i.e antipsychotic drugs and psychological therapies such as CBT
• Increasingly the norm in the UK
• USA is slower to adopt an interactionist approach

Question 5

Original diathesis stress model

Answer 5

• Meehl’s model
• Diathesis was fully genetic - the result of a single ‘schizogene’
• Lead to the idea of a biologically based schizotypic personality, one characteristic of which is sensitivity to stress
• If a person doesn’t have the schizogene then no amount of stress would lead to SZ
• However carriers of the gene, chronic stress in childhood could result in the development of SZ

Question 6

Interactionist approach - evaluation - strength

Answer 6

• Evidence for vulnerability and triggers
• Researchers studied Finnish children whose biological mothers had SZ - adoptive parents had been assessed for parenting style - found that high levels of criticism, hostility and low levels of empathy were associated with the development of SZ in the high genetic risk group

Question 7

Interactionist approach - evaluation - limitation

Answer 7

• Original diathesis stress model is oversimplistic
• Claimed only one gene caused SZ which is very simplistic
• We now know multiple genes influence diathesis - stress also comes in many forms
• Diathesis can also be influenced by psychological factors and stress can be biological and psychological
• Means multiple factors, both biological and psychological that can affect both diathesis and stress , supporting the modern understanding of the DSM