Schizophrenia Booklet 7: Interactionist approach

Question 1

What does the interactionist approach recognise?

Answer 1

That there are a number of factors that interact with each other in the development of sz

Question 2

What is AO1 for interactionist approach split into?

Answer 2

-Diathesis stress model
-Treatment through interactionist approach

Question 3

What does the term “Diathesis” mean?

Answer 3

The underlying vulnerability a person has to the disorder, such as genetic factors. It’s like having gun that may never be fired

Question 4

What does the term “stress” in the context of this model mean?

Answer 4

Any environmental factor that could trigger the disorder, such as family dysfunction. Stress is what is needed to fire the gun and bring on the disorder

Question 5

What research is there into the diathesis stress model?

Answer 5

Barlow and Durand

Question 6

What did Barlow and Durand find?

Answer 6

Reported that family history of SZ indicated a genetic link, coupled with being part of a dysfunctional family increased the risk of developing sz

Question 7

What are the evaluations of the interactionist approach?

Answer 7

😀Evidence to support (Cannabis)
😀Evidence to support (Tienari)
😀Supports both Nature and Nurture
😥Difficult to weigh influence of each factor

Question 8

What was found about cannabis to support the interactionist approach?

Answer 8

Research shows that smoking cannabis increases the likelihood of developing sz in those who have a genetic predisposition for sz

Question 9

What did Tienari find?

Answer 9

Explored genetic vulnerability to sz and its link with parenting style, looked at 19,000 children who had Finnish biological mother with sz. Found that a parenting style of high criticism, conflict and low empathy from the parent was associated with development of sz in the children with biological mothers who has sz but not in children non-sz mothers

Question 10

What is an example of treatment through the interactionist approach?

Answer 10

Drug therapy and family therapy

Question 11

What does the interactionist approach suggest about therapy?

Answer 11

This approach to treating sz suggests that a combination of biological and psychological treatments should be used to treat sz as there is no one treatment which is entirely effective with no relapse

Question 12

What research is there into interactionist treatment for sz?

Answer 12

Tarrier et al

Question 13

What did Tarrier et al find?

Answer 13

Randomly allocated 315 sz patients to:
Medication + CBT group
Medication + Counseling group
Control group (just medication)
Found that the 2 combined treatments groups had fewest sz symptoms than control

Question 14

What are the evaluations of interactionist therapies?

Answer 14

😀Evidence of improvement (Hogarty)
😥Side effects
😥/😀High cost/Long run effective
😀Evidence of improvement (Sudak)

Question 15

What did Hogarty find?

Answer 15

Recorded first year relapse rates of 103 sz patients with various treatment programmes
-Family therapy + drugs (19%)
-Social support therapy + drugs (20%)
-Drugs only (41%)
-All three (0%)

Question 16

What are side effects of interactionist therapy?

Answer 16

If a patient undergoes drug therapy and experiences paranoia and delusions as a result of the drugs, it may make CBT less possible, as they are more suspicious of the therapist

Question 17

What did Sudak find?

Answer 17

Found that antipsychotic drug therapy combined with CBT makes the sz patient more likely to stick to taking the medication, and that the CBT gives the sz patient rational insight into the advantages of sticking to drug treatment