Interactionist Approach

• Interactionist Approach


  A broad approach to explain schizophrenia which considers a range of factors including biological and psychological factors
• The diathesis-stress model


  Interactionist approach to explaining schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is explained as a result of underlying vulnerability (diathesis) and a trigger (stress)
• What is the diathesis model

  • A way to present an interactionist approach
  • Diathesis means vulnerability
  • Stress means a negative experience
  • Both are necessary for schizo to occur
• Original diathesis stress model

  • Vulnerability was entirely genetic and a result of a schizogene and lead to a schizotypic personality with one characteristic being sensitive to stress
  • If someone did not have the schizogene then no amount of stress would lead to schizophrenia
  • However carries of the gene through stress such as the schizophrenogenic mother could lead to schizo
• Modern diathesis stress model

  • Many genes appear to increase genetic vulnerability but there is no schizogene
  • Diathesis is not limited to genetic vulnerability but can include psychological trauma
  • Early trauma such as child abuse can alter brain development
  • The hypothalamic pituitary adrenal system can become overactive making someone more vulnerable to stress
• Modern understanding of stress

  • Stress was seen as psychological in nature originally typically being related to parenting
  • Stress is now something that risk triggering schizo
  • Recent research has been linked to cannabis use and cannabis is a stressor that can increase schizo by up to 7 times
  • Cannabis affects the dopamine system but most people do not develop schizo after smoking cannabis so there may be other factors
• Treatment according to interactionist approach

  • Acknowledges both biological and psychological factors in schizo so uses biological and psychological treatments
  • Known to combine antipsychotics and CBT
  • In the UK it is standard practice to treat people diagnosed with schizo with a mixture of both
• AO3 Interactionist Approach: Research Support

  • Investigated the impact of both genetic vulnerability and a psychological trigger
  • The study followed 19000 finnish children whose biological mother had been diagnosed with schizo
  • In adulthood this high genetic risk group were compared to a control group
  • High levels of criticism and hostility was found in the high risk group
  • A combination of genetic vulnerability and family stress can lead to increased schizo
• AO3 Interactionist Approach: Diathesis and stress are complex

  • The original diathesis stress model is oversimplified
  • Portraying diathesis as a schizogene and portrayed stress as schizophrenogenic parenting
  • Multiple gene combinations can influence diathesis with stress also coming in many forms
  • There are multiple factors both biological and psychological affecting diathesis and stress
• AO3 Interactionist Approach: Real World Application

  • Practical application of acknowledging biological and psychological factors in schizo leads to a combination of drug treatments and psychological therapies
  • Combining treatments enhances their effectiveness
  • People with combination treatment have lower symptoms compared to medication only patients
  • Interactionist approach leads to superior treatment outcomes
• AO3 Interactionist Approach: Urbanisation

  • Schizophrenia is more commonly diagnosed in urban than rural areas
  • This statistic is used to justify the interactionist position as it assumes urban living is more stressful than rural and living in the city acts as a trigger
  • However schizo may simply be more diagnosed in cities than rural areas