A low prevalence disorder
According to the Vulnerability Stress Paradigm, the factors that lead to the development of a mental disorder include stress, biological vulnerability, and protective factors. Firstly, biological vulnerability and severity vary from one person to another. The biological vulnerability of a person depends on early biological and genetic factors. Secondly, stress can influence an individual’s vulnerability and hence leading to the onset of a disorder or the advancement of the existing disorder. Stress is referred to as a response to situations in life that needs a person to change or adapt. The psychiatric symptoms develop once an individual is unable to adapt to stress. Some of the stressors include tense relationships such as increased anger and arguments, life events such as a significant move or the birth of a child and lack of engaging in useful activities. Thirdly, protective factors decrease an individual’s stress and biological vulnerability. A supportive environment and excellent coping skills can hinder stress from increasing symptoms. Medication can also reduce the likelihood of relapses.
Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder that usually manifests itself in early adulthood or late adolescence. Its symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, and other cognitive problems. The stress vulnerability model is essential in the identification and treatment of mental illnesses. Firstly the model suggests that stress can result in the development of mental diseases (Nuechterlein & Dawson, 2014). Patients with schizophrenia show an impaired ability to respond to both physical and psychosocial stress. Events such as the loss of a loved one and a change from the normal life of a schizophrenia patient may lead to depression and acute anxiety (Fleming & Martin, 2016). Some events such as a job interview have the potential of causing devastating effects. Studies indicate that stress can result in physical injuries to the brain (Mortensen, Koenig & Koenig, 2014). As a result, the physiological effects are activated making an individual’s heart to work more, turning away blood from reaching the digestive system and hence leading to high levels of cortisol and increased vigilance (Agius & Goh, 2013).
Secondly, schizophrenia is known to be caused by biological and genetic factors such as inheriting some genes. The disruption of the development of the brain is attributed to genetic predisposition. People with relatives who have a history of schizophrenia have an increased risk of developing the disease (Nuechterlein & Dawson, 2014). Complications that occur during pregnancy and delivery may also result in the development of the disease. When a child is conceived by an older father, he or she has an increased chance of developing schizophrenia. Lastly, protective factors are known to decrease a person’s stress and biological vulnerability. Creating a supportive environment and enhancing good coping skills can reduce the occurrence of schizophrenia. Refraining from the use of drugs, avoiding traumatic and abusive situations and keeping close social ties is known to decrease the prevalence of schizophrenia (Nuechterlein & Dawson, 2014).
- Co-morbid mental health/ AOD issues/ disorders
Co-morbid mental health/ AOD issues/ disorders
Drugs and alcohol abuse can increase an individual’s pre-existing biological vulnerability to a psychiatric disorder. Consequently, the use of drugs and substance abuse can trigger the development of a mental disorder and result in the occurrence of other impairments and severe symptoms (Lieb, 2014). Majority of the people with co-occurring substance use and mental disorders have an increased biological vulnerability to mental disorders, and hence they are easily affected by small amounts of drugs and alcohol. Several studies indicate that there are genes that can increase a person’s risk of developing mental illness and drug and substance abuse. For instance, some people possess a particular gene that increases their risk of developing a psychiatric disorder as an adult, if they regularly used marijuana when they were young. Environmental factors can result in changes in the genetics of a person passing down to his or her generations and hence leading to the occurrence of mental disorders and substance use disorders (Kanter & Bellwoar, 2016).
Mental illnesses can lead to the development of drug and substance abuse disorders. Research indicates that people with mental disorders tend to use alcohol and drugs as a means of self-medication. Even though some drugs may relieve some psychiatric symptoms, at times the drugs make the symptoms adverse. Furthermore, when an individual develops a mental disorder, changes in the brain may increase the satisfying effects of drugs and alcohol, putting a person at risk of proceeding with the use of substances (Lieb, 2014).
Stress results in the development of addiction and increased use of drugs and substance abuse (Sinha, 2010). Studies indicate that adolescents going through a series of devastating life events engage in increased drug and substance use activities (Sabourin & Stewart, n.d.). These life events include lack of parental support, the death of a loved one, isolation as well as growing up in a single parent family. Lack of effective protective factors such as lack of a supportive environment and lack of effective coping skills result in increased use of drug and substances (Eiland & Romeo, 2013).
Anxiety disorders are one of the most common psychiatric illnesses that are known to affect people. Majority of the people are normally affected by more than one disorder at the same time. Genetics plays a significant role in the cause of anxiety. Studies that seek to identify susceptibility genes that cause anxiety are underway especially for obsessive-compulsive and panic disorder (Cavallini & Bellodi, n.d). The biological causes include stress-related hormones such as hormones such as the corticotropin-releasing hormone. Increased levels of CRH causes the occurrence of anxiety-related disorders. Another biological cause is the neurotransmitters which are the communication system of the brain (Biological Explanations of Anxiety: Part IV, n.d).
Interventions
Research shows that some psychiatric disorders are caused by the lack of proper amounts or imbalances of the neurotransmitters. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter that leads to anxiety. It also affects sleep, mood, and appetite. People with anxiety related disorders have low levels of serotonin. Studies indicate that stress can result in anxiety-related disorders. Early subjection to stressors in life can result in the alteration in brain circuitry controlling the responsiveness to stress, behavior, and mood. The interference of the usual functions of the central nervous system may occur due to the early exposure to stress and change in a person’s response to stress that can persist to adulthood (Biological Explanations of Anxiety: Part IV, n.d). The activation of the hypolothamic pituitary adrenal axis as a result of psychologically and physically stressful life experiences leads to the release of cortisol which affects both the behavior and mood of an individual. Lack of a supportive environment, as well as lack of good coping skills, may also lead to an increased occurrence of anxiety-related disorders (Miller, Haroon, Raison & Felger, 2013).
The biological vulnerability of an individual can be decreased by enhancing the use of medication and refraining from the use of drugs and substances. The use of medication is an efficient way of reducing an individual’s biological diversity by aiding in ensuring that there are no imbalances in neurotransmitters that lead to the development of psychiatric disorders. The use of medications helps in reducing the symptoms of a mental disorder, and hence the probability of a person having a relapse is minimized (Kanter & Bellwoar, 2016). Avoiding the use of substances can decrease biological vulnerability. Firstly, since substances are harmful to the brain, the use of drug and substances can lead to more harm to the susceptible parts of the brain linked to mental disorders. Secondly, the use of substances can inhibit the healing effects of some medications o vulnerability. Therefore, an individual who is using drug and alcohol may fail to benefit from the medications given for his or her mental disorder, and hence leading to the manifestation of adverse symptoms as well as the occurrence of a relapse (Kanter & Bellwoar, 2016).
It is difficult for a person to live without suffering from stress. Numerous ways can help people know how to cope with stress efficiently and to prevent themselves from the consequences of stress on worsening symptoms and causing relapses. According to the vulnerability-stress paradigm, individuals should develop effective coping skills to help them have control over stress and other adverse symptoms. People should also engage in essential activities instead of remaining idle and hence decreasing the stress of having nothing meaningful to do. It is vital to create a socially supportive associations that can help one deal with psychiatric disorders and enhance sobriety (Kanter & Bellwoar, 2016).
Firstly recovery can be achieved through appropriate use of medication. Secondly, individuals should use skills that will help them abstain from the use of drugs and substance abuse. Thirdly, people should ensure that they can cope with stress effectively. Fourthly, individuals in the recovery process should get maximum social support. Fifthly, individuals should use coping mechanisms for symptoms of mental illness. Lastly, they should put into use recovery management skills (Kanter & Bellwoar, 2016).
Conclusion
Mental disorders have a strong biological basis which can be easily influenced by environmental factors. The stress vulnerability model empathizes on the fact that minimizing or managing environmental factors can reduce the occurrence of mental disorders. Avoiding the use of alcohol and drugs as well as taking the prescribed drugs efficiently and enhancing protective factors can boost the long-term course of a mental disorder leading to an increased quality of life for all the people.
References
Agius, M., & Goh, C. (2013). PW01-170 – The stress-vulnerability model; how does stress impact on mental illness at the level of the brain….and what are the consequences? European Psychiatry, 25, 1591. doi:10.1016/s0924-9338(10)71572-8
Biological Explanations of Anxiety: Part IV. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.gracepointwellness.org/1-anxiety-disorders/article/38473-biological-explanations-of-anxiety-part-iv
Cavallini, M., & Bellodi, L. (n.d.). Genetics of Anxiety Disorders: Part I. Anxiety Disorders, 25-40. doi:10.1002/0470846437.ch2
Eiland, L., & Romeo, R. D. (2013). Stress and the developing adolescent brain. Neuroscience, 249, 162-171.
Fleming, M. P., & Martin, C. R. (2016). Trauma Exposure, Schizophrenia Symptoms, and the Stress Vulnerability Model. Comprehensive Guide to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders, 205-229. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-08359-9_40
Kanter, G., & Bellwoar, V. (2016). Behavioral health practice: Evolution to a management services organization. PsycEXTRA Dataset. doi:10.1037/e504442016-001
Lieb, R. (2014). Epidemiological Perspectives on Comorbidity Between Substance Use Disorders and Other Mental Disorders. Co-occurring Addictive and Psychiatric Disorders, 3-12. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-45375-5_1
Miller, A. H., Haroon, E., Raison, C. L., & Felger, J. C. (2013). Cytokine targets in the brain: impact on neurotransmitters and neurocircuits. Depression and anxiety, 30(4), 297-306.
Mortensen, P. B., Koenig, J., & Koenig, J. (2014). Developmental Stress In Schizophrenia: Epidemiology And Possible Mechanisms. Schizophrenia Research, 153. doi:10.1016/s0920-9964(14)70005-2
Nuechterlein, K. H., & Dawson, M. E. (2014). A Heuristic Vulnerability/Stress Model of Schizophrenic Episodes. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 10(2), 300-312. doi:10.1093/schbul/10.2.300
Sabourin, B. C., & Stewart, S. H. (n.d.). Alcohol Use and Anxiety Disorders. Anxiety In Health Behaviors And Physical Illness Series In Anxiety and Related Disorders, 29-54. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-74753-8_2
Sinha, R. (2010, October). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2732004
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