Priya’s biological father has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, and during her childhood, Priya experienced chronic emotional neglect. Despite these factors, she remained healthy throughout her adolescence. However, after moving to a new city alone to start a highly competitive university course, she faced severe social isolation and began using high-potency cannabis daily to cope with failing her exams. Recently, Priya has started to exhibit symptoms of schizophrenia, including severe avolition and somatic delusions.
Using your knowledge of the interactionist approach (diathesis-stress model) to schizophrenia, explain why Priya is now showing symptoms of the condition.
8 exam-style questions on AQA A Level Psychology Interactionist approach and diathesis-stress. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.