12.2.13

Interactionist Approach - Triggers & Treatment

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Interactionist Approach - Triggers for Schizophrenia

In the original diathesis-stress model of schizophrenia, stress was seen as psychological in nature and related to parenting. Parenting is still considered important, but there are other factors that risk triggering the disorder.

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Read et al. (2001)

  • Read et al. (2001) proposed a neurodevelopmental model, in which they propose that early trauma leads to changes in the developing brain.
  • They suggest that early and significantly severe trauma (e.g. child abuse) can seriously affect many aspects of brain development. This can include over activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system, which results in heightened susceptibility to stress.
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Cannabis use as a trigger

  • A lot of recent research into factors triggering an episode of schizophrenia has concerned cannabis use.
  • Cannabis is thought to be a stressor because it has been found to increase the risk of schizophrenia.
  • But most people do not develop schizophrenia after smoking cannabis, so it seems there must also be one or more vulnerability factors.

Interactionist Approach - Treatments for Schizophrenia

The interactionist approach to schizophrenia advocates a combination of biological and psychological treatments.

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Dual-treatment

  • The interactionist model of schizophrenia acknowledges both biological and psychological factors in schizophrenia, and so is compatible with both biological and psychological treatments.
  • In particular, the model is associated with combining antipsychotic medication and psychological therapies, most commonly cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
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Turkington et al. (2006)

  • Turkington et al. (2006) say that it is perfectly reasonable to believe in biological causes of schizophrenia and still practise CBT to relieve psychological symptoms.
  • In Britain, it is increasingly standard practice to treat patients with a combination of antipsychotic drugs and CBT.
  • In the USA, there is more conflict between psychological and biological models of schizophrenia. The USA may have been slower to adopt the interactionist approach as a result.
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Tarrier et al. (2004)

  • Tarrier et al. (2004) studied 315 patients who were randomly allocated to a medication plus CBT group, medication plus supportive counselling or a control group.
  • Patients in the two combination groups showed lower symptom levels than those in the control group (medication only).
  • There was no difference in rates of hospital readmission.

Jump to other topics

1Social Influence

2Memory

3Attachment

4Psychopathology

5Approaches in Psychology

6Biopsychology

7Research Methods

8Issues & Debates in Psychology (A2 only)

9Option 1: Relationships (A2 only)

10Option 1: Gender (A2 only)

11Option 1: Cognition & Development (A2 only)

12Option 2: Schizophrenia (A2 only)

13Option 2: Eating Behaviour (A2 only)

14Option 2: Stress (A2 only)

15Option 3: Aggression (A2 only)

16Option 3: Forensic Psychology (A2 only)

17Option 3: Addiction (A2 only)

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