schizophrenia🫂 (importance of interactionist approach)

Question 1

what does the interactionist approach to sz acknowledge?

what do biological factors include?

what do psychological factors include?

Answer 1

that there are biological and psychological and societal factors in the development of sz.

genetic vulnerability, neurochemical and neurological abnormality.

stress, for example life events an daily hassle, including poor fam interactions

Question 2

what does the diathesis stress model say?

Answer 2

both a vulnerability to sz and a stress trigger are necessary in order to develop the condition. one or more underlying factors make a person particularly vulnerable to developing szbut the onset of the condition is triggered by stress.

Question 3

what is meehls model?

Answer 3

in the original model was entirely genetic, the result of a ‘schitzogene’.

if the person didn’t have the schizogene then no amount of stress would lead to sz. however, in carriers of the gene, stress through childhood and adolescence, in particular the presence of a sz mother could result in developing sz

Question 4

what did meehl say ab the schizogene?

Answer 4

if the person didn’t have the schizogene then no amount of stress would lead to sz. however, in carriers of the gene, stress through childhood and adolescence, in particular the presence of a sz mother could result in developing sz

Question 5

what did meehls model lead to?

Answer 5

development of a biologically based schizotypic personality, one characteristic being sensitivity to stress.

Question 6

what is the modern understanding of diathesis?

Answer 6

multiple genes create genetic vulnerability slightly, there is no single schizogene

Question 7

what has become the diatheses?

Answer 7

that psychological trauma has become the diathesis rather than stressor

Question 8

what did read et propose?

Answer 8

a neurodevelopment model in which early trauma alters the brain.

early and severe trauma ie child abuse can affect many aspects of brain development. eg the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system can become over-active, making the person more vulnerable to later stress.

Question 9

what is the modern understanding of stress?

Answer 9

includes anything that risks triggering sz.

Question 10

what have researchers found that can trigger sz?

Answer 10

that factors triggering an episode of sz has concerned canabis use

Question 11

why is canabis seen as a trigger?

Answer 11

bc it increases the risk of sz by up to 7 times according to the dose

Question 12

why does canabis have an impact on sz?

Answer 12

bc canabis interferes w dopamine system,

however most ppl don’t develop sz after smoking weed so it seems there must be one or more vulnerable factors

Question 13

what treatment does this approach offer?

Answer 13

psychological and biological treatments as its compatible with both n acknowledges both factors.

Question 14

wha is the most common treatment for this approach?

Answer 14

antipsychotics alongside CBT.

Question 15

what did Turkington et al say?

Answer 15

points out its perfectly possible to believe in biological causes of sz and practice CBT to relieve psychological symptoms. however, this requires adopting an interactionist model; its not possible to adopt a purely biological approach and tell ppl that their condition is purely biological w no psychological significance to symptoms and to simultaneously treat them with CBT.

Question 16

what happened in the USA?

Answer 16

conflict between psychological and biological models of sz and this may have led to a slower adoption of interactionist approach. thus medication without psychological treatments is more common than in Uk.

Question 17

what is an ineffective and unusual thing todo when treating sz?

Answer 17

to treat sz with only psychological therapies. therapies are usually happening alongside drug therapy

Question 18

AO3✅

2 strengths?

Answer 18

evidence for the role of vulnerability n triggers. tienari investigated the combination of genetic vulnerability n parenting style. kids accepted from 19000 Finnish mothers w sz between 60-79 were followed up. their adoptive parents were assessed for child-rearing style and the rates of sz were compared w those in control group of adoptees without any genetic risk. evidence found that both genetic vulnerability and fam related stress are important in developing sz. genetically vulnerable kids are more sensitive to parenting behaviour. thus supporting interactionist approach.

support for effectiveness of combo of treatments. Turkington et al point out that its not possible to use combo of treatments without adopting an interactionist approach. studies show advantage of using combo of treatments for sz, including tarrier et al where 315 ppl w s were randomly allocated to a medication and CTB group, medication and supportive counselling or a control group. ppl in 2 combo groups showed less symptoms than those in control group. this shows there’s clear practical advantage to adopting an interactionist approach

Question 19

AO3❌

weakness of approach/model?

Answer 19

we don’t exactly know how the approach works- there is strong evidence to suggest stress can cause sz, and how vulnerability and stress can cause symptoms. however, we don’t fully understand the mechanisms of how the symptoms actually appear, and how vulnerability and stress actually produce these symptoms.