Schzio Interactionist approach

Question 1

What is the diathesis in schizophrenia?

Answer 1

It is considered a genetic vulnerability, potentially resulting in a dopamine imbalance.

Question 2

What are stressors in schizophrenia?

Answer 2

Negative environmental experiences such as family dysfunction, emotional stress or anxiety, or a major adverse life event that triggers the disorder.

Question 3

Why is the interactionist approach important in treating schizophrenia?

Answer 3

Because there are both biological and psychological aspects, effective treatment combines psychological therapies like CBT and biological drug therapies to address both causes. Drug treatments reduce severe symptoms so patients can engage with CBT, which teaches cognitive skills to change faulty cognitions.

Question 4

What did Gottesman (1991) find about schizophrenia concordance rates?

Answer 4

He found 48% concordance for identical twins (MZ) and 17% for non-identical twins (DZ), compared to 1% in the general population, indicating genetic factors but also environmental interaction since rates are less than 100%.

Question 5

What did Tienari (2004) find in his adoption study?

Answer 5

5.8% of children adopted into psychologically healthy families developed schizophrenia, compared to 36.8% of children raised in dysfunctional families, showing genetic vulnerability plus environmental triggers.

Question 6

What did Tarrier (1998) find regarding combined treatment of schizophrenia?

Answer 6

Patients receiving routine care plus CBT improved significantly in the severity and number of positive symptoms and spent fewer days hospitalized compared to routine care alone.

Question 7

What limitations does the interactionist approach to treatment have?

Answer 7

It shares the drawbacks of both treatments: unpleasant side effects of drug therapy and high financial cost of therapist-led CBT.