Scizophrenia- the interactionalist approach Flashcards
What does the diathesis-stress model argue about the cause of schizophrenia?
does not stem from one main source but is instead a combination and interaction of biological, psychological and social factors
The more 1.______ a person is (i.e. the higher their diathesis) then the 2.____ stress is needed to ‘pull the trigger’ as it were, ergo something that may seem trivial to a low-diathesis person could prove 3.______ to a high-diathesis person
1.vulnerable
2.less
3. intolerable
What has revision and modification of the diathesis-stress model suggested?
-Stress may form the basis of the diathesis rather than being the trigger
-Recent research has suggested a neural diathesis-stress model of schizophrenia which proposes that stress heightens cortisol levels and that this triggers/worsens the symptoms of schizophrenia (Jones & Fernyhough, 2007)
What are protective factors?
Things that guard against the potential harm of the various risk factors
Examples:
-risk factor of toxic parenting could be offset by having caring grandparents who offer the love and nurture a child needs
-Personal traits such as resilience, optimism, stoicism can also help to protect a vulnerable individual
What is the interactionalist approach to treating schizophrenia?
to combine both drug therapy with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
Why do interactionalsits argue their approach to sz is most effective?
may not have one true cause and may in fact develop due to a range of factors so it makes sense to treat both the biological and the psychological/cognitive symptoms/effects of the illness
Give an evaluation point (supporting evidence)
-evidence to support the interactionist approach to explaining schizophrenia comes from Tienari et al. who investigated the combination of genetic vulnerability and parenting style in children adopted from Finnish mothers with schizophrenia. -The adoptive parents were assessed for child-rearing style and the rates of schizophrenia were compared to those in a control group of adoptees without any genetic risk.
-found that a child rearing style with high levels of criticism and conflict and low levels of empathy appeared to be associated with developing schizophrenia but only for the children with high genetic risk.
-This supports the interactionist explanation that both genetic vulnerability and family-related stress are important in the development of schizophrenia.
Give an evaluation point (revised model)
-Meehl’s original model has been criticised for being too simplistic and has now been revised to account for the discovery that schizophrenia is a polygenetic condition and there is no single ‘schizogene’ could be up to 108 candidate genes
-It is also accepted that a range of factors can cause the predisposition or diathesis, and these include physical and psychological trauma that effect the developing brain.
-In addition, the range of stressors that can trigger schizophrenia has been widened to include cannabis use, as it appears to increase the risk of developing schizophrenia by up to 7 times. -Evidence to support this comes from research by -Brzustowicz et al. which found early trauma, defined as a threat to physical, emotional or sexual integrity at or younger than 19 years, was significantly associated with the expression of schizophrenia in families demonstrating genetic predisposition to schizophrenia
Give an evaluation point (combination of CBT and antipsychotics)
-The interactionist approach may not suit all patients
-Some may have difficulty understanding or interpreting the side-effects of their drugs which CBT could actually worsen with its emphasis on challenging dysfunctional thoughts
-In other words, the effects of the drug may be exacerbate
Give an evaluation point (Other contributing factors)
-The model has been criticised for not acknowledging the role of other biological factors such as the role of neurotransmitters (see the dopamine hypothesis for example) in the development of schizophrenia which means that it may offer only a partial explanati
Why are people from minority ethnic groups more likely to be diagnosed with SZ (in line with DS model)
-No evidence to suggest that there is a genetic predisposition
-Racism + socio-economic situation (poverty) can be environmental stressors
Why are people living in inner city areas more likely to be diagnosed with SZ?
-Is a more stressful enviroment as it is busier
-Opposite for people living in rural/ countryside is low stress
