interactionist approach

• diathesis refers to an individuals genetic or biological predisposition to schixophrenia. Involving factors like variations in genes and brain sturctures
• stress refers to environmental factors that can trigger or worsen schizophrenia symptoms. Including life stressors such as bereavement or growing up in a family with high expressed emotion.
• the diathesis-stress model suggests that if a person has a high diathesis, they may only need a relitavely small amount of stress to trigger the onset of schizophrenia
• The original model has been criticised for being too simplistic and has now been revised to account for the discovery that schixophrenia is a poly-genetic condition and there is no single 'schizogene'. Furthermore it doesn't acknowledge the role of other biological factors such as the role of neurotransmitters in development of schixo which means it may only offer a partial explanation. There is some vagueness over exactly how biological, psychological and social factors interact according to the model which means it lack objectivity . It doesn't acknowledge that soem of the life stressors may be caused by schixophrenua rather than be a trigger . There has been a revised understanding
• evidence to support the interactionist approach comes from Tienari

  when assessing stress in families it was only on one ocassion- doesn't reflect the changes in stress over time
• There is research to support the effectiveness of an inetractionist treatmenet. Tarrier randomly allocated participants to a medication plus CBT group, meds +supportive counselling and just meds they found patients in the two combination groups showed lower levels of symptoms than those it the control group . This is a clear benefit of the interactionist apporach

  The treatements work better alongside one another as it treats both the biological and environemntal aspects of the disorder to help improve the quality of life for the patient
• The interactionist approach to treatement involves combining anti-psychotic medication (either typical or a-typical) with a psychological therapy, most commonly CBT. The anti-psychotic medication will reduce the activity fo dopamine, while CBT will help those with schixophrenia to identify negative thoughs and try to change them. This is standard practice in the UK however in the USA it has been slower to be accpeted. This is despite there being evidence to show that combining treatments is more effective than using them alone
• -The interactionist approach acknowledges that there are biological, psychological and social factors in the development of schizophrenia.
• Twin studies support interactionist - MZ not 100% 
• There has been a revised understanding of triggers the range of stressors that can trigger schizophrenia has been widened to include cannabis use, as it appears to increase the risk of developing schizophrenia by up to 7 times., also physcial and osychologicak trauma can effect the developing brain leading to a predispoisiton, showing more factors need to be considered than simply genetics