Vulnerability Stress Paradigm

Running head: VULNERABILITY STRESS PARADIGM 1
Vulnerability Stress Paradigm
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VULNERABILITY STRESS PARADIGM 2
Introduction
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.

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A low prevalence disorder
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

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and keeping close social ties is known to decrease the prevalence of schizophrenia (Nuechterlein
& Dawson, 2014).
· 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).