What to Know About the Diathesis-Stress Model

If you're looking for a simple answer as to what causes mental health conditions, the answer is that there isn't one. The fact is that mental conditions have *many* causes. However, experts believe that it's often a combination of genetics and stress that contributes to their onset.

The diathesis-stress model is a theory suggesting that mental disorders and medical conditions are caused by a combination of an inherent predisposition and the person's experience of stress. Also known as the vulnerability-stress model, it is a framework for understanding how existing vulnerabilities and environmental stresses interact to influence mental health conditions.

It also explains why prolonged stress often contributes to anxiety, depression, and other disorders. And while we can't really change our genetic vulnerabilities, there are steps we can take to limit and manage our stress. According to the diathesis-stress model, doing so can play a big role in protecting your mental well-being.

Understanding Diathesis and Stress

While the term sounds unwieldy and complex, the phenomenon it explains is relatively easy to understand. 

• Diathesis refers to a predisposition or vulnerability to developing a mental disorder. This can be due to genetic factors, early life experiences, or other biological susceptibilities. 
• Stress refers to the environmental factors that trigger the onset of mental illness or exacerbate existing conditions. These can include significant life events, trauma, and daily stressors.

History of the Diathesis Stress Model

The model can trace its origins to the 1950s, although roots of this theory date to much earlier. Paul Meehl, in the 1960s, applied this approach to explain the origins of schizophrenia. Since then, it has also been utilized to understand the development of depression.

According to researchers who use this viewpoint, people with a predisposition for depression are more likely to develop the condition when exposed to stress. This theory was later expanded to include other mental health conditions, including anxiety and eating disorders. 

How the Diathesis Stress Model Works

Everyone has vulnerabilities due to genes, genetic abnormalities, or the complex interaction of various genes. But just because these predispositions exist does not mean that an individual will develop a particular condition. 

In many cases, a disorder will only emerge when stress-related pressures trigger the underlying diathesis. This exposure to stress can trigger the mental disorder's onset or worsen existing symptoms.

The diathesis-stress model is one way to explain why some people are more vulnerable to mental illness than others. It also explains why some people may develop a mental disorder after exposure to stressful life events while others do not.

However, it is essential to remember that in most cases, no single gene is responsible for causing a mental disorder. Instead, it is often the result of many genes or other biological factors interacting with environmental variables that determine overall risk.

Types of Conditions Linked to Diathesis and Stress

The diathesis-stress model has been implicated in the onset of lots of different mental health conditions. This includes some of the most common mental disorders in the U.S., such as anxiety and depression. Some of many different types of mental health conditions include:

Anxiety Disorders

While the exact causes of anxiety disorders are unknown, genetic vulnerabilities and exposure to stressful life events can play a big part. Researchers note that anxiety disorders tend to run in families. Having an inherited predisposition means that traumatic experiences are more likely to trigger anxiety. Genetics can also impact how people manage stress.

Depression

A combination of factors is believed to contribute to the onset of depression, including genetics, a family history of depression, and exposure to stressful life events. The theory suggests that people with genetic vulnerabilities are more likely to become depressed when they are dealing with prolonged stress.

Financial problems, relationship issues, or trauma can trigger emotional and physical responses that overwhelm a person's coping abilities. When these stresses surpass a person's ability to cope, it can contribute to the development of depression.

Schizophrenia

Experts suggest that schizophrenia is caused by a combination of genetics and stressful events. For example, around 25% of individuals with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (aka DiGeorge Syndrome) develop schizophrenia, indicating a significant genetic component.

However, not everyone with this genetic variation experiences schizophrenia, suggesting that environmental factors also play a part.

Eating Disorders

Genetic, environmental, and psychosocial factors are believed to contribute to the development of eating disorders. For many people, stressful life events that leave them feeling a loss of control can lead people with inherent vulnerability to extreme behaviors to control weight and food intake.

Uses for the Diathesis Stress Model

The diathesis-stress model has been used to help improve research, diagnosis, and treatment of mental disorders. Some uses for this model include:

• Understanding the causes of mental illness: Where other models of mental illness focus primarily on nature or nurture, the diathesis-stress model suggests that mental disorders are best understood as resulting from biological and environmental influences. 
• Reducing the stress that contributes to mental disorders: Because of the emphasis on the role stress plays in causing mental illness, this model encourages the use of stress reduction strategies to help limit disease risk. While genetic and other biological factors cannot be controlled, stress is a modifiable risk factor that people can address through lifestyle changes. This may include stress-relief techniques, such as relaxation and mindfulness.
• Exploring the interactions of biological and environmental influences: The diathesis-stress model is also helpful in understanding the complex interaction of biological and environmental factors in developing mental disorders. It can help guide research to identify the causes of mental illness, ultimately leading to the development of more effective treatments.
• Understanding the impact of genetics and environment: This model helps explain why some people are more likely to develop mental health conditions following stressful events and why others are not.

Impact of the Diathesis-Stress Model

The diathesis-stress model has influenced how researchers investigate mental health conditions. It has helped shift the focus of research from nature vs. nurture debates to a more nuanced understanding of how biological and environmental factors contribute to mental illness.

The diathesis-stress model has also helped change how mental disorders are treated. The model suggests that treatment should reduce stress and address the underlying diathesis to the degree possible. This has led to the use of new therapies, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction, that might mitigate these risks.

How to Manage Your Stress

Avoiding all sources of stress isn't realistic (let's face it, life *is* stressful sometimes). However, limiting your stress and developing strong stress management skills may help lower your health risks. Some things you can do include:

• Identify your sources of stress: Where is it coming from? What is it about the situation that is stressing you out?
• Explore ways to avoid or minimize your stress: Can you get rid of the stress? Are there things you can do to limit your exposure to the stress?
• Develop healthy coping mechanisms: Healthy coping skills can include self-care, relaxation, and problem-solving techniques.
• Use relaxation strategies: Try stress relief techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and guided meditation
• Exercise regularly: Research has shown that regular physical activity can help lower stress.
• Write in a gratitude journal: Gratitude interventions help you focus on the good things in your life, which can improve your ability to cope with stress.

Protective Factors

Stress and genetic factors work together to increase your vulnerability, but there are also protective factors that can help counteract some of the effects of stress. A few of these helpful protective factors that buffer the interaction of diathesis and stress include secure attachments, positive relationships, stress management skills, and emotional competence.

Summary

The diathesis-stress model is a widely accepted theory with important implications for research and treatment. The model suggests that a mental disorder develops when an individual has a vulnerability or predisposition combined with exposure to stressful life events. This exposure can trigger the mental disorder's onset or worsen existing symptoms. The diathesis-stress model has helped to improve our understanding of mental disorders and led to the development of more effective treatments.