The interactionist approach to schizophrenia Flashcards
What does the diathesis stress model propose?
A vulnerability to schizophrenia and a stress-trigger are necessary in order to fevelop the condition.
What was the original diathesis-stress model?
Meehl’s model said that diatheseis was entirely genetic and as a result of a schizogene. This led to the development of a schizotypic personality and without the schizogene, no amount of stress leads to schizophrenia. In carriers of the gene, chronic stress in childhoos could result in the develpment of one condition.
What is the modern understanding of diathesis?
It is now clear that there is no single schizogene and it also includes a range of factors. Read proposed a neurodevelopmental model where early trauma alters the developing brain and this creates a vulnerability to schizophrenia.
What is the modern understanding of stress?
A modern definition of stress includes anything that risks triggering schizophrenia. Much of the recent research has been into cannabis use as it increases the risk of schizophrenia by up to 7 times. This may be because it interferes in the dopamine system.
What treatment is recommended according to the interactionist approach?
It acknowledges biological and psychological factors and therefore combines antipsychotic medication and psychological therapies.
What are the strengths of the interactionist approach to schizophrenia?
There is evidence for the role of vulnerability and triggers as child-rearing styles that involved criticism and a lack of empathy were more likely to develop schizophrenia if they had a genetic vulnerability.
There is support for the effectiveness of combinations compared to just a medication group.
What are the weaknesses of the interactionist approach to schizophrenia?
The original model is oversimplistic as it says there is only one gene.
We don’t know exactly how diathesis and stress work and so we can’t fully understand schizophrenia.
Treatment-causation fallacy means that just because a combination of treatments works, it isn’t necessarily caused by biological and psychological factors.
