Diathesis Stress Model

The diathesis-stress model is a psychological theory. It can be applied to many different mental illnesses. In the situation of schizophrenia this model attempts to determine what factors give rise to a person developing schizophrenia. Although the knowledge of what factors contribute is still unknown research continues. Most researchers agree that it is caused by a combination of factors. This model attempts to show a relationship between the disease and how it relates to behavior that occurs due to biological/genetics, biochemical, and viruses combined with stress. The diathesis segment of the model means predisposition. It supports that there is a genetic predisposition but the person must also have vulnerability from childhood. The genetic vulnerability interacts with the environment and life events to trigger the behavior, psychological disorder or disease. The stress part of the theory supports that stressors contribute to the development of the disease, but researchers are unsure what quantity of stress and what kind of stress may actually trigger the disease.

Biological predisposition has been examined from many different aspects. Some researchers contribute the biological explanation due to unusual abnormal development of the brain. It has been noted that cranial ventricles are larger on some schizophrenic people. Differences in some schizophrenic’s temporal lobe and prefrontal lobes of the brain have also been noted. Many researchers question if brain circuitry is a contributing factor as well as high levels of dopamine in the brain. Research has found that immediate relatives of diagnosed schizophrenics are ten times more likely to also develop the disease. Studies with identical twins show an increase of 28% versus fraternal twins shows an increase of 17%. Also researchers think that schizophrenia may be caused by gene defects.

Stressors have also been studied. Some researchers support that the mother was exposed to stressors that caused damage to the child during the prenatal or neonatal period. The mother’s lack of prenatal care, poor diet, living in a minority social status and poverty, having depression, RH incompatibility with the child, experiencing war, toxins due to war or being exposed to influenza any one of these factors could be a significant stressor.

For example a pregnant mother may have a biological father that has schizophrenic. She is living in a war torn country, experiencing poverty and has no prenatal care during her pregnancy. After the child is born the war conditions of chaos continue. This combination of bio/genetic and psycho-sociocultural stressors could contribute to the child developing schizophrenia later in life.

Overall the more negatives a person has the higher the risk for developing schizophrenia. The model does support that a person must have predisposition to the disease and then be subjected to immediate psychosocial stress to develop schizophrenia. The significance is that although research continues there is an educated opinion that the different types of schizophrenia may give rise to different disorders. Researchers have agreed that the disease has a distinct course, bio/genetic component, psycho-sociocultural origin and therefore a distinct treatment path.