schizophrenia : the interactionist approach ao1

Question 1

What is the interactionist approach

Answer 1

Acknowledges the biological psychological and social factors in the development of schizophrenia

Question 2

Explain diathesis stress model

Answer 2

Diathesis - vulnerability
Stress - in this context means a negative psychological expirence
The model states that a vulnerability and a stress trigger are needed to develop the condition
There may be one or more factors of vulnerability but the onset is triggered by stress

Question 3

Who did og diathesis stress model

Answer 3

Meehls model 1962

Question 4

Explain meehls 1962 diathesis stress model

Answer 4

Og model
Argues that vulnerability was purely genetic snd a result of a schizogene
If a person doesn’t have the gene then no amount of stress will trigger the illness

Question 5

Modern understanding of diathesis

Answer 5

Now clear that there may be a genetic vulnerability for dev schiz but there isn’t a single schizogene
Modern views include other factors too such as psychological trauma
Trauma becomes the diathesis rather than the stressor

Question 6

Diathesis means…

Answer 6

Vulnerability

Question 7

Read 2001 found

Answer 7

Proposed a neurodevelopment model in which early trauma alters the development of the brain for example, early child abuse. hypothalamic - pituitary adrenal system can become over active making a person much more vulnerable to stress later on

Question 8

Modern understanding of stress

Answer 8

Focus on use of cannabis triggering a schizophrenic episode - cannabis becomes stressor and increases risk by up to 7 times - this is because it interferes with dopamine system
but not everyone who smokes cannabis develops schizophrenia so therefore must be more than one vulnerability factor

Question 9

Who gave evidence to support role of vunerabily and triggers

Answer 9

Tienari (2004)

Question 10

Tienari (2004) found

Answer 10

Investigate combination of genetic vunerabily Ana parenting style (trigger). Children were adopted from finish mothers with schizophrenia. The adopted parents were assesed on their child rearing style
A child rearing style characterised by high levels of cristism and conflict increased the risk of dev schizophrenia
But the only children with a genetic vulnerability

Question 11

Support for combining treatments

Answer 11

Patients seem to fare much better when you combine treatments
You have to adopt an interactionist approach if you want to combine the treatments

Question 12

Og model of diathesis stress model is over sim9ldied

Answer 12

The classic model of a single gene causing schizophrenia is now known to be very over simple
There is multiple genes that leave someone vunerable to developing schizophrenia
Also stress comes in different forms not just dysfunctional parenting

Question 13

We don’t know how diathesis snd stress work

Answer 13

There is strong evidence that underlying vunerbaikity and stress can trigger the onset of schizophrenia
We don’t know fully how the mechanisms by which the symptoms of schizophrenia appear and how both vulnerability and stress produce them

Question 14

The treatment causation fallacy

Answer 14

It’s argued a combonation of treatments makes a logical fit
But it doesn’t mean the interactionist approach is correct even though treatment is more effective together
Doesn’t mean there’s a biological cause
This is known as causation fallacy

Question 15

How would interactionist approach treat schiz

Answer 15

Since this is a holistic model - takes biological and psych factors
So this wants a treatment that combines both
antipsychotic drugs combined with CBT
In Britain irs more common to use both forms of treatment
They have more freely adopted an interactionist approach

Question 16

Interactionist model treatment - America

Answer 16

There’s more conflict between biological and psychological models in America
Therefore there is a much slower rate in adopting an interactionist approach
Drugs are used more without CBT
It’s very unusual to treat schizophrenia without medication
Less success rate on their own (30%)

Question 17

Support for combining treatments

Answer 17

Tarrier 2004
215 patients were allocated to these conditions
1- medication and supportive counselling
2 - medication and CBT
3- Control group - medication on its own

Question 18

Tarrier 2004 findings and conclusions

Answer 18

Groups 1 ans 2 displayed lower symptom levels
These types of studies show a clear practical advantage to adopting an interactionist approach