The importance of an interactionalist approach in explaining and treating SZ Flashcards
the diathesis stress model
Meehl’s original model
in Meehl’s original diathesis stress model was entirely genetic. it was down to a single schizo gene which made someone sensitive to stress.
he suggested that is a person does not have tis schizo-gene then no amount of stress would lead to SZ. However if you have the gene, stress through childhood, such as having a schizophrenogenic mother could lead to SZ.
Modern explanation of diathesis
However, it is now believed that there is no single schizo gene but here is may gens that increase generic vulnerability to SZ.
It is also believed that factors other than genes can be a diathesis such as psychological trauma. Early and severe enough trauma such as child abuse can seriously affect aspects of brain development and can make a person more vulnerable to stress in later life.
modern explanation of stress
moreover a modern definition of stress includes anything that risks triggering SZ not just parenting.
much of the recent research has concerned cannabis use. in terms of diathesis stress model cannabis is the stressor because it increases the risk of SZ by up to seven times according t the dose. probably due to its interference with the dopamine system. However not everyone develops SZ after smoking cannabis suggesting there must also be one or more vulnerability factors.
treating SZ
if SZ is due to a combination of diathesis and stress it makes sense to use a treatment process that uses a combination of therapists.
many researchers argue that a combination of drug therapy can be appropriate as an initial treatment to manage schizophrenia symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations. then treatments should use therapy such as CBT to challenge the patients responses to stressors.
in the UK treatments such as CBT family therapy and drug therapy are often combined to take interactionist approach to target diathesis and stress.
AO3
P- research to support the interactionist approach in explaining SZ comes from TIENARI ET AL 2004.
E - they followed up 19,000 adopted children in Finland whose mothers had SZ compared them to a control group of adopted children without genetic risk.
E - The child rearing styles of the adoptive parents were observed. Those children who were bought up in families with a lot of conflict and low empathy were much more likely to develop SZ but only in the children who had a genetic vulnerability not the control group. This suggests that both genetic vulnerability and family related stress are important in the development of SZ.
L- Therefore, increasing the validity of the interactionist approach to explaining SZ.
