The Interactionist Approach

Question 1

The Interactionist Approach

Answer 1

• AKA the biological approach; acknowledges biological, psychological, and societal factors in the development of schizophrenia.
• Biological factors; genetic vulnerability, neurochemical and neurological abnormality.
• Psychological factors: stress (life events and daily hassles) and poor-quality interactions in the family.
• Diatheses = vulnerability, stress = any negative psychological experience.
• Diathesis-stress model: vulnerability to schizophrenia and a stress-trigger are necessary in order to develop the condition.
• > 1 underlying factor make a person particularly vulnerable to developing schizophrenia, but the onset of condition is triggered by stress.

Question 2

Holmes and Rage (1967)

Answer 2

• Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS)
• The authors wanted to look at life events and assess their impact.
• It uses the concept of readjustment because it follows that events that have a large on us will result in the greatest need for us to readjust.
• They believe that readjustment is likely to cause stress.
• Kanner et al. (1981) investigated the stresses associated with everyday hassles.
• He then compared using hassles as predictors of stress with the life events outlined by Holmes and Rahe’s (1967) social readjustment rating scale.

Question 3

The interactionist approach

Answer 3

• Original Diathesis-stress model (Meehl, 1962).
• Diathesis entirely genetic, a single ‘schizogene’.
• Schizotypic personality – one characteristic that is particularly sensitive to stress.
• Meehl, 1962: if a person does not have a schizogene then no amount of stress would lead to schizophrenia.
• Gene carriers: chronic stress through childhood and adolescence – particularly in presence of schizophrenogenic mother could cause condition.

Question 4

Modern Understanding of Diathesis

Answer 4

• Ripke et al. (2014): there is no single ‘schizogene’, but many genes increase vulnerability.
• Modern view: range of factors (not just genetic) – psychological trauma (Ingram and Luxton 2005), so trauma becomes the diathesis rather than the stressor – this is epigenetics.
• Read et al. (2001) neurodevelopmental model where early trauma alters the developing brain (eg: child abuse).
• Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system can become over-active, making them more vulnerable to later stress. Big risk is if the smallest thing can lead to a fight or flight.
• In original model: stress was psychological in nature (especially parenting).
• Modern definition of stress: anything that risks triggering schizophrenia, rather than just familial matters (Houston et al. 2008). For example, cannabis use interferes with dopamine system.

Question 5

Treatment According to the Interactionist Model

Answer 5

• Interactionist model acknowledges biological and psychological factors, and compatible with biological and psychological treatments.
• Model is associated with combining antipsychotic medication and psychological therapies, CBT.
• Turkington et al. (2006): it is possible to believe biological causes of schizophrenia and still practice CBT to relieve psychological symptoms.