the interactionist approach

what does the interactionist approach acknowledge?

that there are biological (genetic, neurochemical), psychological (stress), and social (family dysfunction) factors in the development of schiz.

what does the IA support?

the IA supports combining biological and psychological treatments, such as antipsychotic drugs for the + symptoms and CBT for the - symptoms

• this is becoming a popular choice of treatment for schiz in the UK

what does the Diathesis stress model say?

• both vulnerability and stress-trigger are necessary for schiz to develop

• early versions claimed diathesis (vulnerability) was entirely genetic, the result of a single ‘schizo-gene’ and chronic stress through childhood, such as the presence of a schizophrenogenic mother

what do modern views understand?

• multiple genes in multiple combinations increase genetic vulnerability, not just one, and that diathesis can incl psychological trauma - so trauma can be the diathesis rather than the stressor

what do early versions show?

• early versions saw the stress part of the model as always psychological

• although this is still important, anything that risks triggering schiz can be considered ‘stress’

• E.g. smoking cannabis is stressor as it can increase risk of schiz up to 7 times. Most ppl do not dev schiz after smoking cannabis bc they lack the diathesis (vulnerability) factor.