Which model explains schizophrenia through a combination of predisposition and environmental stress?

Which model explains schizophrenia through a combination of predisposition and environmental stress?

• A. Diathesis stress model
• B. Stigma theory
• C. Biographical reinforcement
• D. Cost-benefit analysis

Answer: (A)

The main idea tested here is how mental illness can arise from an interaction between a built-in vulnerability and life stress. The diathesis-stress model says a person has a diathesis, a predisposition that can be genetic or biological, and when environmental stressors occur, they interact to push the person past a tipping point and trigger schizophrenia. This explains why some individuals with a family history or neurodevelopmental differences may develop symptoms only after experiencing stress, while others with similar vulnerabilities do not if stress is minimal or coping resources are strong. It also accounts for variability in onset and course, since the type and amount of stress, along with support and coping, influence outcomes. In contrast, stigma theory focuses on social reactions to illness rather than how it develops, and the other concepts aren’t used to explain the etiological role of vulnerability plus environmental stress. So the diathesis-stress model best fits the idea of predisposition interacting with environmental stress to produce schizophrenia.

The main idea tested here is how mental illness can arise from an interaction between a built-in vulnerability and life stress. The diathesis-stress model says a person has a diathesis, a predisposition that can be genetic or biological, and when environmental stressors occur, they interact to push the person past a tipping point and trigger schizophrenia. This explains why some individuals with a family history or neurodevelopmental differences may develop symptoms only after experiencing stress, while others with similar vulnerabilities do not if stress is minimal or coping resources are strong. It also accounts for variability in onset and course, since the type and amount of stress, along with support and coping, influence outcomes. In contrast, stigma theory focuses on social reactions to illness rather than how it develops, and the other concepts aren’t used to explain the etiological role of vulnerability plus environmental stress. So the diathesis-stress model best fits the idea of predisposition interacting with environmental stress to produce schizophrenia.