Interactionist Approach to Schizophrenia Flashcards
(17 cards)
AO3 (1) interactionist approach
+The main evidence for the potential effectiveness of adopting an interactionist approach towards
explaining SZ comes from Tienari et al’s 2004 adoption study. The researchers used data from
19,000 Finnish mothers and adoptees who suffered from SZ and compared these findings to a
neurotypical group of children adopted across the same period (1960 to 1979). The researchers
found that “in adoptees at high genetic risk of schizophrenia, but not in those at low genetic risk,
adoptive-family ratings were a significant predictor of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders in adoptees
at long-term follow-up”. Therefore, this provides strong support for the diathesis-stress model
because the findings demonstrate that a single diathesis or stressor is not enough to trigger the
development of SZ, but rather a combination of the two is required.
AO3 (1) interactionist approach
— The original diathesis-stress model can be considered as an over-simplified explanation of SZ and
a reflection of the outdated understanding of that disorder in the mid-twentieth century. For example,
Ripke et al (2014) demonstrated that there are over 108 candidate genes, each slightly increasing the
risk of SZ, and so there is no single ‘schizogene’. Stress can come in many forms apart from the
schizophrenogenic mother, such as high levels of expressed emotion, childhood trauma (Read et al,
2001) and the excessive use of cannabis (Houston et al, 2008). Therefore, the diathesis is not
exclusively biological, nor is the stressor exclusively psychological. Hence, this may also be
considered a strength in the sense that our current understanding of SZ is far more accurate than the
original perspective.
AO3 (1) interactionist approach
+ There is significant evidence supporting the use of a combination of treatments and the
interactionist approach to treating SZ, as suggested by Tarrier et al (2004). These researchers studied
315 patients who were randomly allocated to one of three conditions, where the last control group
received no treatment and the first two groups received a combination of psychological and biological
treatments. The researchers found that, after an 18 month follow-up, “there were significant
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advantages for CBT and supportive counseling over TAU (treatment as usual) alone on symptom
measures at 18 months but no group difference was seen for relapse or re-hospitalisation. Therefore,
adjunctive psychological treatments can have a beneficial long-term effect on symptom reduction”. This suggests that there is a therapeutic advantage in adopting an interactionist approach, further
supporting the validity of the diathesis-stress model as an explanation for SZ
What does the interactionist approach to schizophrenia propose?
That both biological and psychological explanations and treatments should be used.
Who supported the interactionist approach for SZ treatment?
Turkington et al. (2006).
Q: What model is central to the interactionist approach?
The diathesis-stress model.
How does the interactionist model influence SZ treatment?
It supports combined therapies, like antipsychotics + CBT.
What does Turkington et al. (2006) say about causes and treatments?
Biological treatments target distal (direct) causes, while psychological therapies address proximal (indirect) causes.
Is the interactionist model widely used?
More common in the UK than the USA, where treatment models are often more divided.
What can now be considered a psychological stressor for SZ?
Childhood trauma (Ingram & Luxton, 2005).
How does childhood trauma affect the body biologically?
It disrupts the HPA system, increasing stress sensitivity.
How does cannabis use relate to the diathesis-stress model?
It acts as a lifestyle stressor that can increase SZ risk 7-fold, especially when combined with other vulnerabilities.
Who proposed the original diathesis-stress model and when?
Meehl (1962).
What did Meehl’s original model suggest?
A single schizogene leads to a schizotypic personality, which—if combined with psychological stress—triggers SZ.
What was seen as the main environmental stressor in Meehl’s model?
The schizophrenogenic mother.
How has the idea of a single schizogene been challenged?
Ripke found over 108 candidate genes linked to SZ.
According to Houston et al. (2008), what can count as a diathesis?
Biological or psychological vulnerabilities, e.g., childhood trauma or genetic predisposition.
