L12 - Interactionist Approach Flashcards
Define the interactionist approach
Focuses on a combination of biological and psychological factors which could cause SZ, and treatments involving each of these factors
What model is used in the interactionist approach?
Diathesis-stress model
What’s the diathesis stress model?
Genetic vulnerability to an illness
Triggered by environmental stimuli which acts as a stressor, e.g. trauma
What does the interactionist approach compare?
Treatments
See which combo is most suitable for individuals
What is the most comment treatment combination?
CBT and drugs
Advantage of DSM related to Gottesman and Shields study?
Concordance rate for MZ or DZ twins wasn’t 100% so has to be other factors, e.g. behavioural
Study into interactionist approach procedure
Looked at children of African women who had flu when 4-6 months pregnant
Study results
Those with flu mothers had 88% increased chance of SZ
The study found what about biological factors
Flu caused neural development defects causing brain damage and dopamine functioning issues
+ related to study by Houston
Found patients had childhood sexual trauma affecting brain development and were stressed by experiences
Used cannabis which increased illness chances
- related to individual differences
Not know exactly how stressors contribute to DSM
Patients may be different and cope and tolerate stress differently in the first place
+ related to episodes
50% of patient’s who had an acute SZ episode had experienced a major life event within the 3 weeks before
Limitation related to finding exact gene and stress?
SZ is polygenic
Stress can encompass many things like family dysfunction or stressful life experiences
No single source
Supporting study of diathesis stress model related to cortisol levels?
Found cortisol was very high before onset of SZ but not after recovery
Stress is important
