Interactionist approach

• 3A01 on explanation

  • Combines effect of biological, psychological and social factors on development of schitzophrenia
  • Diathesis-stress model; diathesis is genetic and a result of a single 'schitzogene'
  • Someone with gene, stress through childhood, maybe from 'schitzophrenic mother' could trigger gene
• 3A01 to treat

  • Combines biological and psychological treatments, mostly antipsychotics with CBT
  • Bio cause: Typical antipsychotics decrease dopamine Psychological cause: CBT decreases cognitive dysfunction
  • Standard practice in the UK, USA has had a slower acceptance
• Limitation 1

  P- Too simplistic

  E- Understanding of diathesis as focus purely on a single gene to a polygenic effect

  E-Understanding of stress trigger, now includes risk trigger e.g. cannabis interfers with dopamine making you 7x more likely to get schitzophrenia

  C- Multiple factors, both bio and psych affect diathesis and stress
• Strength 2

  P- evidence to support it

  E- Patients allocated other meds or CBT, A medication and support councelling or medicine control group

  E- Patients in 2 condition groups showed lower symptoms than control group

  C- Valid way to decrease symptoms as the control group shows they didnt improve by chance
• Limitation 2

  P- NHS lack funding to use the interactioniast approach

  E- Too much spent on secure care so there are issues using therapy

  E- Extra costs of CBT is compensated by savings gained by CBT patients tend to spend less time in hospital

  C- greater effectiveness seen to outweigh increased cost