A03

• What are the strengths of the interactionist approach?

  1. Research support
  2. Support for the effectiveness of combination of treatment

  • C.A. - No difference in hospital readmission
• What are the limitations of the interaction it’s approach?

  1. Oversimplified

  • C.A. - Considers other influences
• Strength = research support

  • Tienari et al. (2004) investigated combination of genetic vulnerability and parenting style and the impact on the development of schizophrenia
  • Group 1 - adopted children from Finnish mothers with schizophrenia
  • Control group - adopted children with no genetic risk for schizophrenia
  • Found that child-rearing style characterised by criticism and conflict and low empathy was implicated in the development of schizophrenia but only for the children with high genetic risk and not control group
  • Genetic vulnerability and family-related stress were both factors
• Strength = support for effectiveness of combination of treatment

  • Research has shown the effectiveness of adopting an interactionist approach for treating schizophrenia
  • Tarrier et al. (2004) compared patients who were receiving combined treatment with patients receiving standard care (antipsychotics only)
  • Of the 315 patients those receiving combination treatments showed lower symptom levels than those in control group
• C.A. for support for effectiveness of combination of treatment

  • There was no difference in hospital readmission between the groups
  • Suggests in the long-term, these two treatments are as effective as each other
  • It would cost more for combination treatments so may be better to just focus on biological treatments if both are as effective as each other in the long-term
• Limitation = oversimplified

  • Original diathesis-stress model criticised for oversimplifying the complex nature of schizophrenia, in that it claims that diathesis is genetic and the result of a single ‘schizogene’
  • Research has shown schizophrenia is polygenic
  • Diatheses don’t have to be purely genetic - increased risk for schizophrenia can also result from brain damage caused by environmental factors and psychological trauma e.g. child abuse
  • Houston found people who had suffered child sexual trauma (psychological trauma) and used cannabis (stressor) were more likely to develop schizophrenia
• C.A. - Considers other influences

  • Some researchers have argued an increased risk for schizophrenia can result from other factors
  • E.g. neurodevelopmental abnormalities, psychological trauma, such as child abuse, or even neurotransmitter imbalances rather than just genetic influences
  • The Modern diathesis-stress model does take these into account