Schizophrenia- The interactionist approach to schizophrenia Flashcards
The interactionist approach -
A broad approach to explaining schizophrenia, which acknowledges that a range of factors, including biological and psychological factors, are involved in the development of schizophrenia.
The diathesis-stress model -
An interactionist approach to explaining behaviour. For example schizophrenia is explained as the result of both an underlying vulnerability (diathesis) and a trigger, both of which are necessary for the onset of schizophrenia.
In early versions of the model, vulnerability was genetic and triggers were psychological. Nowadays both genes and trauma are seen as diatheses, and stress can be psychological or biological in nature.
What is the interactionist approach to schizophrenia?
The interactionist approach acknowledges that biological, psychological, and societal factors contribute to the development of schizophrenia.
What biological factors are involved in schizophrenia?
Biological factors include genetic vulnerability, neurochemical abnormalities, and neurological abnormalities.
What psychological factors are involved in schizophrenia?
Psychological factors include stress from life events, daily hassles, and poor family interactions.
What is the diathesis-stress model?
The diathesis-stress model states that both a vulnerability (diathesis) and a stress trigger are necessary for the development of schizophrenia.
What did Meehl’s original diathesis-stress model propose?
Meehl’s model proposed that diathesis was entirely genetic, caused by a single “schizogene,” and that stress, such as a schizophrenogenic mother, could trigger schizophrenia in genetically vulnerable individuals.
How has the understanding of diathesis changed in modern models?
Modern models recognize that multiple genes contribute to vulnerability, and diathesis can also include psychological trauma, such as childhood abuse, which affects brain development.
What is the modern understanding of stress in the diathesis-stress model?
Stress is now seen as any factor that risks triggering schizophrenia, including psychological stress, parenting styles, and biological factors like cannabis use.
How does cannabis act as a stressor in schizophrenia?
Cannabis increases the risk of schizophrenia by interfering with the dopamine system, but it only triggers schizophrenia in individuals with pre-existing vulnerability.
What treatments are compatible with the interactionist model?
The interactionist model supports combining antipsychotic medication with psychological therapies, such as CBT.
Why is it difficult to adopt a purely biological approach while using CBT?
A purely biological approach denies the psychological significance of symptoms, making it incompatible with CBT, which addresses psychological factors.
How common is the combination of antipsychotics and CBT in the UK?
In the UK, it is increasingly standard practice to treat schizophrenia with a combination of antipsychotics and CBT.
How does the US approach to schizophrenia treatment differ from the UK?
In the US, there is more conflict between biological and psychological models, leading to slower adoption of combination treatments compared to the UK.
What evidence supports the role of vulnerability and stress in schizophrenia?
Pekka Tienari et al. (2004) found that children with genetic vulnerability were more likely to develop schizophrenia when exposed to high-criticism, low-empathy parenting styles.
Why is the original diathesis-stress model considered over-simple?
The original model focused on a single “schizogene” and parenting stress, but modern research shows multiple genes and diverse stressors contribute to vulnerability and triggers.
What is an example of a modern understanding of vulnerability and stress?
Childhood sexual trauma can act as a vulnerability factor, while cannabis use can act as a stress trigger, showing the complexity of the diathesis-stress model.
What evidence supports the effectiveness of combination treatments?
Studies, such as Tarrier et al. (2004), show that combining antipsychotics with CBT or supportive counseling reduces symptoms more effectively than medication alone.
What is the treatment-causation fallacy?
The treatment-causation fallacy is the incorrect assumption that because a treatment works, it proves the cause of the condition. For example, antipsychotics reducing symptoms does not prove schizophrenia is purely biological.
Why is the interactionist approach important for treatment?
The interactionist approach allows for combination treatments, which have been shown to improve outcomes, highlighting the importance of addressing both biological and psychological factors.
What is a limitation of the diathesis-stress model?
The exact mechanisms by which vulnerability and stress lead to schizophrenia are not fully understood, limiting the model’s explanatory power.
How does the treatment-causation fallacy affect the evaluation of the interactionist approach?
The fallacy reminds us that effective combination treatments do not necessarily validate the interactionist model, as correlation does not imply causation.
What does the interactionist approach suggest about the causes of schizophrenia?
It suggests that schizophrenia results from a combination of genetic vulnerability, psychological trauma, and environmental stressors, rather than a single cause.
What is the role of early trauma in the diathesis-stress model?
Early trauma, such as child abuse, can alter brain development, increasing vulnerability to stress and the likelihood of developing schizophrenia later in life.
How does the interactionist approach address ethical issues in treatment?
By combining biological and psychological treatments, it avoids over-reliance on medication and addresses the psychological needs of patients, reducing ethical concerns about over-medicalization.
What does the interactionist approach imply about the future of schizophrenia treatment?
It suggests that future treatments should continue to integrate biological and psychological therapies to improve outcomes for individuals with schizophrenia.
