The importance of an interactionist approach in explaining and treating schizophrenia; the diathesis-stress model

THE DIATHESIS-STRESS MODEL

In short, the DSM sees schizophrenia as a form of brain damage to various regions in the brain that are concerned with language and thought. For example, areas in the brain occupied by dopamine D2 receptors are hypo and hyper-presented in Broca’s area. This may account for the differences found in language between patients with positive and negative symptoms. The DSM sees the causes of Schizophrenic brain damage as a varying combination of genes, pathogens, viruses, difficult birth, etc., that interact with environmental stressors (abuse, bullying, marital schism, etc.).

A mixed explanation like this is known as a diathesis-stress model (DS).

Risk factors to consider include:

RISK FACTORS: BIOLOGICAL

• Birth month is correlated with schizophrenia, specifically for babies born in late winter through to early spring, e.g., January to March (northern hemisphere countries only).

• As a result, it is theorised that anything that interferes with the cortical development of a foetus during this period has the propensity to cause schizophrenia in later life.

• Adding some credibility to this hypothesis are two theories:

• THEORY 1: Infection of a mother with flu during late pregnancy. In the sixth month, the brains of foetuses undergo critical development of the cortex. Flu season mainly occurs in the winter season, which coincides with not only the sixth-month cortex milestone but also being born in late winter or early spring. Maternal influenza during the third trimester has been implicated as a cause of schizophrenia (Brown & Patterson, 2011).

• THEORY 1: Low levels of vitamin D in the mother during the third trimester could also explain the late winter/early spring hypothesis.

• Pregnancy/labour complications with hypoxia,

• Older biological father

• Stress of mother during pregnancy

• Other Infections of the mother during pregnancy

• Malnutrition of mother during pregnancy

• Maternal diabetes.

• Smoking cannabis as a teenager

• Inheriting specific genes

• Faulty dopamine systems - hyper and hypo

• Enlarged ventricles

RISK FACTORS: PSYCHOLOGICAL

• Trauma

• Abuse

• Stress

• Bullying

• Marital schism

• Prejudice: There is a higher incidence of schizophrenia in some minority ethnic groups, but this might be explained by hypo vitamin D in. mothers during pregnancy.

• Poverty: this might be explained by the social drift hypothesis.

• Urban environment: There is a higher incidence of schizophrenia in urban areas.