schizophrenia- interactionist approach Flashcards
diathesis
vulnerability
stress (in sz context)
negative experiences that trigger the vulnerability
what does the diathesis-stress model suggest about developing sz?
both a vulnerability and a trigger needed. individually may not create sz- its the interaction that’s key
who came up with the original diathesis-stress model?
Meehl (1962)
what did the original diathesis-stress model suggest about diathesis?
-diathesis was entirely the result of the a single ‘schizogene’
-Meehl argued someone w/o this gene should never develop sz no matter how much stress they were exposed to
-but a person who does have the gene is vulnerable to the effects of chronic stress (especially sz mother)
-the schizogene is necessary but not sufficient for development of sz
what is the modern understanding of diathesis?
-not due to a single ‘schizogene’
-many genes increase vulnerability
-diathesis doesn’t have to be genetic, it could be early brain trauma affecting brain development
-e.g. child abuse affects hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system making a child vulnerable to stress
what is the modern understanding of stress?
-anything that risks triggering sz
-can be psychological (e.g. parenting) or biological (e.g. cannabis use)
-cannabis can increase risk of sz up to 7 times depending on dose- probably bc it interferes with the dopamine system
what’s the treatment for sz according to the interactionist approach?
antipsychotic medication and CBT
why is there more of the interactionist approach in the UK compared to the USA?
-britain its increasing standard to treat with combo of drugs and CBT
-us more conflict between psychological and biological models of sz and may have lead to slower adoption of interactionist approach
ao3 of interactionist approach: dual role of vulnerability and stress
-Tienari et al. (2004) studied children adopted away from mothers diagnosed w sz. adoptive parents’ parenting styles were assessed and compared to control group of adoptees with no genetic risk
-a child-rearing style w/high levels of criticism and conflict and low levels of empathy was implicated in the development of sz bit only for children w a high genetic risk
-shows that combo of genetic vulnerability and stress lead to increased risk of sz
ao3 of interactionist approach: original diathesis-stress model is oversimplistic
-mulitple genes increase vulnerability, each with small affect on its own- there is no schizogene. stress comes in many forms, including dysfunctional parenting
-researchers now believe stress can also include biological factors. For example, Houston et al. (2008) found sexual trauma was a diathesis and cannabis was a trigger
-means that there are multiple factors, biologic and psychological affecting both diathesis and stress
ao3 of interactionist approach: real-world application of interaction
-Tarrier et al. (2004) randomly allocated 315 p’s to
(1) medication + CBT group
(2) medication + supportive counselling group
(3) control group (only medication)
-p’s on the two combination groups showed lower symptom levels that those in the control group- but no difference in hospital readmission
-means theres a clear practical adv to adopting an interactionist approach in the form of superior treatment outcomes
ao3 of interactionist approach: urbanisation
-sz more commonly diagnosed in urban rather than rural areas, may support interactionist position (urban living is a stressor)
-however, sz may simply be more likely to be noticed in cities or people w a diathesis for sz may migrate to cities
-greater chance of diagnoses in cities is not strong support for the interactionist position
