the interationist approach evaluation

Question 1

there is evidence for the role of vulnerability and triggers

Answer 1

POINT: There is evidence to support the dual role of vulnerability and stress in the development of schizophrenia

EVIDENCE: Tienari et al investigated the “interaction of genetic vulnerability and parenting style ( the trigger)”

-Children adopted from 19,000 Finnish mothers with schizophrenia 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

A child-rearing style characterised by high levels of criticism and conflict and low levels of empathy was implicated in the no-control group

EXPLANATION: This suggests that both genetic vulnerability and family stress are important in the development of schizophrenia- genetically vulnerable children are more sensitive to parenting behaviour - links into the interactions approach as the parenting styles the possible source of stress

Question 2

the original diathesis- stress model

Answer 2

POINT: the classic model of a single schizogene and schizophrenic parenting style as the major source of stress is now known to be very over- simple

EVIDENCE: multiple genes increase vulnerability to schizophrenia, each having a small effect on its own, there is no single schizogene (Ripke et al)
Also, stress can come in from many forms e.g. dysfunctional parenting. Therefore, stress do not have one single source - vulnerability can be a result of early trauma as well as genetic make-u and this can come in many forms including biological

EXPLAINATION: This is a problem for the original diathesis-stress but not for the newer models

Question 3

There is support for adopting an interactionist approach

Answer 3

POINT: There is support for adopting an interactionist approach from studies comparing the effectiveness of combinations of biological and psychological treatments for schizophrenia v biological treatments

EVIDENCE: Studies show advantages to using combinations of treatments for schizophrenia

Tarrier et al (2004) 315 people with schizophrenia were randomly allocated to medication and the CBT group showed lower symptom levels than those in the control group (medication only) although there was no difference in the rates of hospital readmission

EXPLANATION: Studies like this show that there is a clear practical advantage to adopting interactions approach in the form of superior treatment outcomes, and therefore highlight the importance of taking an interactions approach in treatment

Question 4

we don’t know exactly how diathesis and stress work

Answer 4

POINT: We don’t know how exactly the diathesis-stress model work

EVIDENCE: There is strong evidence to suggest that there is some sort of underlying vulnerability coupled with stress that can lead to schizophrenia
We also have well-informed suggestions on how vulnerabilities and stress might lead to symptoms

EXPLANATION: However, we do not yet fully understand the mechanism by which the symptoms of schizophrenia appear and how both vulnerability and stress produce them

• This is a limitation for the diathesis-stress model

Question 5

The treatment-causation fallacy

COUNTERPOINT FOR There is support for adopting an interactionist approach

Answer 5

However, the act that combined biological and psychological treatment is more effective than either on their own does not necessarily mean that the interactionist approach to schizophrenia is correct

• this error of logic is called the treatment-causation fallacy