Sc - An interactionist approach Flashcards
Diathesis-stress model
Explains mental disorders as the result of an interaction between biological (the diathesis) and environmental (stress) influences.
Diathesis to explain SZ
SZ has a genetic component in terms of vulnerability.
What findings provide evidence for diathesis to explain SZ?
Findings that the identical twin of a person with SZ is at greater risk of developing SZ than a sibling of fraternal twin, and that adoptive relatives do not share the increased risk of biological relatives (Tienari et al., 2004).
How do twin studies provide evidence that the environment (stress) also plays a role in developing SZ?
In about 50% of identical twins in which one twin is diagnosed with SZ, the other never meets the diagnostic criteria for the disorder.
This discordance among identical twins indicates that environmental factors must also play a role in determining whether a biological vulnerability for SZ actually develops into the disorder.
What sort of stressful life events can trigger SZ?
Variety of forms such as childhood trauma or the stresses associated with living in a highly urbanised environment.
What evidence did Varese et al. (2012) find about environmental stress?
Children who experienced severe trauma before the age of 16 were 3 times as likely to develop SZ in later life compared to the general population.
There was a relationship between the level of trauma and the likelihood of developing SZ, with those severely traumatised as children being at greater risk.
How does urbanisation link to SZ?
Research has suggested that a high level of urbanisation is associated with increased risk of developing a range of different psychoses, including SZ.
What did a meta-analysis of Vassos et al. (2012) find?
That the risk for SZ in the most urban environments was estimated to be 2.37 times higher than in the most rural environments.
What is thought to be the reason behind urbanisation being linked to SZ?
It is possible that the more adverse living conditions of densely populated urban environments may be a contributory factor.
What factor might the relationship between urban stress and SZ be conditional on?
A pre-existing genetic risk for the disorder or some other biological vulnerability for SZ.
What are the ways in which a combination of diathesis and stress can lead to the onset of SZ?
For example:
Relatively minor stressors may lead to the onset of the disorder for an individual who is highly vulnerable.
Or, a major stressful event might cause a similar reaction in a person low in vulnerability.
Name some environmental (stress) influences that may contribute to the risk of developing SZ?
Urbanisation and childhood trauma.
What does the idea that a combination of diathesis and stress can lead to the onset of SZ pre-suppose?
Additivity, i.e. that diathesis and stress add together in some way to produce the disorder.
What is the key study for an interaction approach to SZ?
Tienari et al. (2004)
What did the Tienari et al. (2004) study test?
The hypothesis that genetic factors moderate susceptibility to environmental risks associated with adoptive family functioning.