Perspectives on Psychological Disorders: Videos & Practice Problems

The diathesis-stress model explains psychological disorders as a result of an internal vulnerability (diathesis) combined with environmental stressors. Diathesis can include genetic predispositions, cognitive biases, or adverse childhood experiences. In contrast, the biopsychosocial model emphasizes a holistic view, integrating biological, psychological, and social factors in understanding disorders. This model illustrates that the same disorder can arise from different causes, highlighting the need for diverse treatment approaches tailored to individual circumstances, such as pharmacological therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, or community support.

Diathesis-Stress Model

This video, we're going to be covering the diathesis-stress model of psychological disorders. So the idea behind this model is that individuals have an internal vulnerability for a disorder that is a diathesis. They have this internal vulnerability or diathesis, but the disorder is not going to manifest until it is combined with an environmental trigger or a stress. So that's where we get the term diathesis-stress. Now before we go forward, I do want to acknowledge that diathesis is a weird word.

You probably haven't heard it before. It actually comes from a Greek word kind of loosely translated to like "arrangement". So you can think of it as the internal arrangement of someone, kind of a constellation of internal traits or vulnerabilities that might make them more susceptible to a disorder. So that is what a diathesis is. And to give you some more explicit examples of a diathesis, this could be something like genes.

So, having a genetic predisposition for depression or substance abuse or something like that. This could be atypical neurological development, that could be caused by either neurodivergence or a brain injury happening early in life, something like that. This could be cognitive biases. So this could mean things like you have a tendency to fixate on or focus on really negative events, you have a tendency to ruminate on upsetting or sad things, so kinds of cognitive tendencies like that, as well as something like adverse childhood experiences. All of those can be a diathesis or they can create these internal vulnerabilities.

But, again, the idea is that a disorder would not manifest until those things are combined with a stress. So some common examples of stress that you would see in this literature include things like trauma. So that could be physical, sexual, any kind of trauma. Abuse can also be a stressor. Loss is a very common one, and this could be any kind of loss.

So loss of a loved one, loss of your home, loss of your marriage, etc., And then pressure or stress coming from, like, work or school are also very commonly looked at. So if we were to chart this out on this graph here, here we're looking at symptoms on the y-axis going from low to high and then on the x-axis we're looking at stress, so the amount of stressors in a person's life, again going from low to high. Then we have these two lines, so we have the green line representing an individual with no diathesis and then the blue line representing people who have this diathesis or this internal vulnerability. So you can see that when stressors are pretty low, these two people look similar. Right?

We would expect these two populations to be pretty similar on any psychological disorders. However, once stress starts to get higher, that is where we begin to see this split in these two populations where people who have no diathesis or no internal vulnerability are going to stay pretty stable. They don't have an increased likelihood of developing a psychological disorder even when they're under stress. Whereas people who have this diathesis, this dotted blue line here, you can see now their symptoms are getting higher. So now that they are under stress and we're combining stress with that diathesis, now we're beginning to see the development or manifestation of a psychological disorder in that population of people.

So that is the idea behind the diathesis-stress model. Now I do want to note something very important here, which is that while there is very strong evidence supporting this model, it's very well researched, it's also very important to remember that no single model can explain all psychological disorders in all people. There are other models of psychological disorders that also have evidence. We're going to talk about one more in this course, but if you move into more advanced psychology classes you would see even more of these. So just keep in mind that while this model does have great evidence behind it, and does apply to some populations sometimes, it is absolutely possible to develop a psychological disorder when you only have a diathesis or if you only have a stress or even in other circumstances.

It's a great model. We use it a lot, but we don't want to act like it's the end all be all and that we, you know, solved psychological disorders. It's never that simple. Alright. So that is our diathesis-stress model of disorders, and I will see you guys in the next one.

Bye bye.

Example 1

Alright. So which of the following graphs shows a pattern that we would expect with a diathesis stress model? With our diathesis stress model, we're going to expect to see that people who have a diathesis or an internal vulnerability are going to manifest or develop a psychological disorder when that is combined with a stressor. So all of our graphs here are laid out just like the one in our video with symptoms on the y-axis and stress on the x-axis. So let's look at graph a first.

For graph a, we have these two populations: one has a purple line and one has an orange line and they kind of look the same, right? There's not really much difference between them; the purple line shows a little bit more symptoms, but what's important for us is that both of them are pretty much unaffected by stress, right? Even as stress is getting higher, they're both remaining really stable, so that's definitely not diathesis stress. Looking at graph b, this is looking a bit more promising because now these two populations are diverging. Here we can see under low stress conditions they look pretty much the same, which we would expect, but then under high stress conditions, we begin to see that split where now this purple line, which must represent our diathesis population, is beginning to show more and more symptoms and more incidence of psychological disorder because we're combining that diathesis with stress now.

Whereas this orange population, which must represent our no diathesis population, is remaining fairly unaffected by this high stress because they have no internal vulnerability. So it looks like graph b is showing us diathesis stress and we can tell that because these populations look the same under conditions of low stress and the split begins to occur under conditions of high stress. And then looking really quickly at graph c, just in case you are curious, this is actually showing a pattern that we call differential susceptibility. If you want to check that out, you might learn about that in more advanced psychology classes. But this is a little bit different than diathesis stress because you can see here that this purple population, under conditions of low stress, their mental health is actually better than our orange population.

Right? So even though this half of the graph looks pretty much the same, we're seeing a big difference in this half of the graph under low stress conditions. And again, that's called differential susceptibility if you want to check that out. It's pretty cool stuff. Alright, so that is our example.

Great job with that one, and I will see you in the next one. Bye bye.

Which of the following are examples of diathesis?
I. Particular thought patterns (ex: fixations on negative events)
II. Adverse childhood experiences.
III. Heightened activation of particular brain regions.

• A. I & II.
• B. I & III.
• C. II & III.
• D. I, II, & III

Answer: (D)

The Biopsychosocial Model

This video, we're going to be going over the biopsychosocial model. So the biopsychosocial model is essentially a holistic perspective that explains psychological disorders as a combination of factors. As you could maybe guess from the name just being a bunch of words kind of smooshed together there. So with this model, we are taking into account biology or biological factors. This could be things like genes, so having a genetic predisposition for something.

This could be hormone levels, neurotransmitter levels, brain anatomy, brain development, any biological factor that could contribute to a disorder. We're also taking into account psychological factors, so cognitions, emotions, perception, learning, memory, any kind of psychological factor there. And we're also thinking about social factors, so stressors either acute or chronic. We're thinking about the person's environment as well as their broader cultural context. You can kind of imagine all of these factors kind of mixing in a person, at different levels.

And we would expect when they hit a certain point that we would see the manifestation or development of a disorder. So that's kind of the idea behind the biopsychosocial model. Now this model has kind of an elegant simplicity to it, I think. And I think it does a really great job explaining how the same disorder can have different causes across individuals. So to give you an example, let's say we have this guy here and he has recently developed depression.

And as we can see from his little color-coded beaker here, his depression seems to be driven mainly by biological factors. So maybe he has a genetic predisposition, maybe he has kind of naturally low serotonin levels, whatever it may be. And you can see we're still accounting for social factors and psychological factors. They're still in the mix and they're playing a role, but his depression is a bit more driven by biology. In contrast to this woman here who also has depression, but hers is driven more by those psychological factors.

So maybe she has a tendency to ruminate on negative events to kind of fixate on upsetting things. So those cognitive biases or cognitive tendencies are kind of driving that depression, but we are still taking into account some biological factors and social factors that may be kind of adding to the mix there. And finally, we have this woman and her depression is driven more by social factors. So perhaps she recently lost somebody and that kind of grief and bereavement process has led to the development of depression. Again, some biology and psychology playing a role there, but it's more driven by those social factors in this person.

So this really nicely demonstrates why it is so crucial to have various forms of treatment available. We want to be able to offer different treatment modalities because depending on the cause of a person's disorder, they may respond to different treatments in different ways. So, for example, this guy might really benefit from some pharmacological treatment. So he may really need drug therapy to kind of get that depression under control. Whereas this woman in the middle here might really benefit from a standard cognitive-behavioral therapy where she can just kind of learn some more productive thought patterns, learn how to break out of those negative rumination cycles, etc.

And this final woman here might benefit most from just community support or some kind of grief group that she could attend maybe at her local library or local church. So this model really nicely demonstrates not only how the same disorder can have different causes within people but why it's so important to have different treatment options available as well. Alright. So that is our biopsychosocial model, and I will see you guys in the next one. Bye bye.

Example 2

Alright. So Naya is a 19-year-old studying psychology at a university a few hours from where she grew up. During her sophomore year, she developed an anxiety condition and was referred to counseling. Using your understanding of the biopsychosocial model, what could be biological, psychological, and social factors that contributed to the onset of her anxiety? You can definitely get creative with this if you would like.

I have a couple of suggestions for us here. So for biological factors, remember, this could be anything. This could just be hormonal. This could be neurotransmitters. This could be neuroanatomy. This could be having a genetic predisposition for anxiety. So we're going to put that in here. But, again, feel free to put whatever you are thinking. For a psychological factor that could be contributing to her anxiety, Naya might have a bit of cognitive bias toward negative thinking, worrying, ruminating on negative events, fixating on things that she needs to improve upon. Any of those cognitive biases or tendencies toward thinking in those ways could be contributing to this anxiety disorder.

And then in terms of social factors, we know that she's studying at a university hours from her home, so she is presumably away from her family. So that could be contributing. And, you know, we don't know much about her. Maybe she lacks some social support right now. Maybe she doesn't have many friends. Maybe she's struggling to stay in contact with people from, you know, from back home, etcetera. So those are just some examples of biological, psychological, and social factors that could be contributing to Naya's anxiety disorder. Alright. I'll see you guys in the next one. Bye bye.

Which of the following is a strength of the biopsychosocial perspective?

• A. It highlights the impact of stress in bringing about mental disorders.
• B. It focuses on the cultural aspect of psychopathology, allowing for a more nuanced understanding of how culture impacts mental disorders.
• C. It focuses on the precise identification of the physiological components of mental disorders.
• D. It provides a holistic explanation for psychological disorders; demonstrating how disorders can have different causes across individuals.

Answer: (D)

Here’s what students ask on this topic:

What is the diathesis-stress model in psychology?

The diathesis-stress model in psychology is a framework that explains the development of psychological disorders as a result of an interaction between an individual's internal vulnerability (diathesis) and external environmental stressors. Diathesis refers to predispositions such as genetic factors, cognitive biases, or adverse childhood experiences that make a person more susceptible to disorders. However, these vulnerabilities alone do not cause disorders; they must be triggered by stressors like trauma, loss, or pressure from work or school. The model suggests that individuals with a diathesis are more likely to develop disorders when exposed to high levels of stress, while those without such vulnerabilities remain stable even under stress. This model highlights the complexity of psychological disorders and the importance of considering both internal and external factors in their development.

How does the biopsychosocial model explain psychological disorders?

The biopsychosocial model explains psychological disorders through a holistic perspective, considering the interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors. Biological factors include genetic predispositions, hormone levels, and brain anatomy, which can contribute to disorders. Psychological factors encompass cognitions, emotions, and perceptions, influencing how individuals process experiences. Social factors involve stressors, environmental influences, and cultural context, affecting mental health. This model illustrates that the same disorder can have different causes across individuals, emphasizing the need for diverse treatment approaches. For example, pharmacological therapy may be effective for biologically-driven disorders, cognitive behavioral therapy for psychologically-driven ones, and community support for socially-driven disorders. The biopsychosocial model underscores the importance of personalized treatment plans tailored to the unique combination of factors affecting each individual.

What are some examples of diathesis in the diathesis-stress model?

In the diathesis-stress model, diathesis refers to internal vulnerabilities that predispose individuals to psychological disorders. Examples of diathesis include genetic predispositions, such as a family history of depression or substance abuse, which increase the likelihood of developing similar disorders. Cognitive biases, like a tendency to ruminate on negative events or fixate on upsetting thoughts, can also serve as diathesis. Adverse childhood experiences, such as trauma or neglect, create vulnerabilities that may manifest as disorders later in life. Additionally, atypical neurological development, whether due to neurodivergence or early brain injury, can be considered a diathesis. These internal factors alone do not cause disorders; they require environmental stressors to trigger the manifestation of psychological symptoms.

Why is it important to have various forms of treatment available for psychological disorders?

Having various forms of treatment available for psychological disorders is crucial because the causes of these disorders can vary significantly across individuals. The biopsychosocial model demonstrates that disorders can arise from different combinations of biological, psychological, and social factors. Consequently, a one-size-fits-all approach to treatment is ineffective. For instance, pharmacological therapy may be beneficial for individuals whose disorders are primarily driven by biological factors, such as neurotransmitter imbalances. Cognitive behavioral therapy might be more suitable for those with psychological factors like cognitive biases. Meanwhile, community support or group therapy can be effective for individuals whose disorders are influenced by social factors, such as grief or isolation. Offering diverse treatment options ensures that individuals receive personalized care tailored to their specific needs and circumstances.