A03

• :) interactionist app: supporting evidence for dual role of vulnerability & stress in developing schizo.Tienari ('04) compared 19,000 Finnish kids who had schizophrenic mothers w controls (no genetic risk) & investigated the impact of both genetic vulnerabilities & psychological influences (dysfunctional parenting)results: child-rearing style (high levels of criticism + low levels of empathy) was associated w development of schizo, but only kids w high genetic risks, not control group. :. genetically vulnerable kids are > sensitive to parenting bvr adds validity to interactst expltn of schizo.
• A limitation of the original diathesis-stress model is that it is too simple. For example, the original model explained diathesis as a single schizophrenic gene and stress was portrayed as schizophrenogenic parenting; both had a single source.

  Our current understanding is more complex and shows how vulnerability can be both genetic make-up as well as early trauma, and factors such as cannabis use can be seen as a stressor which can trigger the onset of schizophrenia.

  :. this questions the validity of the original diathesis-stress model which has since been updated to include more factors.
• Another :) of the interactionist app = real world applications, in terms of effectiveness of interactionist treatment options.

  e.g. Tarrier (2004) randomly allocated people with schizo into one of three groups; medication + CBT, medication + supportive counselling, or medication only (control group) Results showed that ppl in the two combination groups displayed lower symptoms levels compared to those in control group.

  :. this highlights the importance of adopting an interactionist app by combining drug treatment and psychological therapies which produce better treatment outcomes.
• A :( of the combination of biological and psychological treatments is the treatment-causation fallacy.

  e.g. the fact that  combined treatments are more effective than either on their own does not necessarily mean that the interactionist approach is correct.

  This can be because we are not sure whether the treatment actually deals with the underlying root cause of schizophrenia or instead just suppresses the symptoms

  :. while a combination of biological and psychological treatments is superior in producing better outcomes, it doesn’t tell us exactly what the origin of schizophrenia is.