Transdiagnostic Factors and the Diathesis-Stress Model
Learning Objectives:
Critically evaluate the role of a diathesis (predispositional vulnerability) to psychopathology
Critically evaluate the theory that a specific transdiagnostic factor contributes to psychological development
Synthesize the hypothesis that a transdiagnostic factor can serve as a diathesis to the development of a specific mental disorder
Reflect on how you might incorporate and apply the diathesis stress model and the transdiagnostic factors perspective into your future practice as a counsellor.
Purpose:
The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate a conceptual understanding of how transdiagnostic factors can serve as diatheses to the development of psychopathology.
Instructions
Your task is to apply one of three transdiagnostic factors – temperament, attachment, or emotional regulation – as a presumptive diathesis to one specific mental illness.
Review the three articles below. Then, choose one of them as the key source for your paper
Temperament: Rothbart, M. K. (2015). The role of temperament in conceptualizations of mental disorder. In Critical thinking in clinical assessment and diagnosis (pp. 133-149). Springer International Publishing. https://www(dot)researchgate(dot)net/publication/283469726_The_Role_of_Temperament_in_Conceptualizations_of_Mental_Disorder
Attachment: Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2012). An attachment perspective on psychopathology. World Psychiatry, 11(1), 11-15. https://www(dot)ncbi(dot)nlm(dot)nih(dot)gov/pmc/articles/PMC3266769/
Emotion Regulation: Sheppes, G., Suri, G., & Gross, J. J. (2015). Emotion regulation and psychopathology. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 379-405. http://people(dot)socsci(dot)tau(dot)ac(dot)il/mu/galsheppes/files/2014/10/Sheppes-Suri-Gross-2015-Annual-Review.pdf
Choose a specific disorder from among the array of DSM-5 disorders, and, choose one of the three transdiagnostic factors to examine as a possible diathesis for that disorder. You may select any mental disorder (e.g., GAD, panic disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, borderline personality disorder, anti-social personality disorder, PTSD, substance use disorder, etc.) and you may select any one of the three transdiagnostic factors (i.e., temperament, attachment, emotional regulation).
For example, you might consider the transdiagnostic factor of attachment as a diathesis in the etiology of borderline personality disorder. Or, you might address how the transdiagnostic factor of emotional regulation can serve as a diathesis in the development of a panic disorder. Alternatively, you might explore the transdiagnostic factor of temperament as a diathesis in the etiology of depression. And so on.
Any oe of these three transdiagnostic factors – temperament, attachment, and emotional regulation – can potentiate, as a presumptive diathesis, multiple mental disorders.
In section one (75% of the body of the paper), you should address the theoretical basis of how the transdiagnostic factor you selected can predispose someone to the specific disorder you are researching. Remember that this is not a paper about the treatment of the disorder; address only the etiological developmental path.
Begin your paper with a brief introduction (one paragraph) that describes the “problem” (i.e., theme, topic, issue, concern, etc.) you will address, and be sure to state the purpose of your paper (e.g., “The purpose of the present paper is…” or “In this paper, I examine…” or “Attachment is examined as a…”). Next, present a brief overview of one of the diathesis-stress models we have studied in this course (e.g., Barlow’s triple vulnerability theory or Fairburn’s CBT-E model). Be sure to explain the role of a diathesis as a significant predispositional vulnerability to psychopathology.
Next, present a brief overview of the specific transdiagnostic factor you have selected (i.e., temperament, attachment, or emotional regulation). Describe the nature of the factor and explain its role in psychological development.
Next, present a brief overview of the specific disorder you have selected. Describe the nature of the disorder, summarize the symptoms and diagnostic criteria, and other relevant information. Do not list symptoms in a tabular format and do not copy, verbatim, DSM-5 content. Rather, provide your own narrative summary of the disorder you have chosen to study.
Then, explore in depth how the transdiagnostic factor can serve, etiologically, as a diathesis (predispositional vulnerability) to the development of the specific mental disorder you have chosen to examine.
Section two (25% of the body) comprises a (first-person, singular) personal reflection addressing how you might incorporate and apply the knowledge from Section one into your future practice as a counsellor. Keep in mind that this section is only about 400-500 words, so you will need to be selective and concise.
Finally, add a very brief conclusion/summary (one paragraph) of your work on this assignment.
Lastly, provide an APA-styled list of references that you used and cited for this paper.
Transdiagnostic Factors
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Transdiagnostic Factors
Introduction
The application of attachment theory towards understanding psychological processes and development has brought about new perspectives that have enriched the psychology field. For this particular paper, the goal is to establish the connection between attachment and anxiety disorder and the impact the former has on the latter. Attachment posits or speaks on the aspect of people being born with an innate need to form emotional bonds with caregivers in their lives. However, the question this paper seeks to answer is whether attachment as a transdiagnostic factor could play a role as a diathesis for anxiety. Therefore, to attain the objective set for the paper, attachment will be assessed as a factor that predisposes individuals to anxiety disorder. According to Levy et al. (2015), attachment theory details the ability of people to unknowingly project their internal representations of the relationships they had with caregivers during the first six months of their lives. The implication of the above is that the relationships people have with their caregivers greatly impact who people turn out to be later in life and the psychological issues they happen to struggle with. Further, the paper will offer an overview of Barlow’s triple vulnerability model to help showcase how biological, general psychological, and disorder-specific psychological vulnerabilities contribute to anxiety disorder.
Overview of the Diathesis-Stress Model
Through his research, David Barlow discovered that anxiety disorders are a result of several causes that predispose individuals to the disorder. Through the triple vulnerability theory, Barlow proposed three causes whose interaction could likely expose a person to anxiety disorders. The first cause or factor, according to Barlow, entails an individual’s genetic inheritance or the general biological vulnerability (Brown & Naragon-Gainey, 2013). These vulnerabilities mainly stem from what a person inherits from their biological parents. Control over such factors or causes is limited. Secondly, Barlow identified the generalized psychological vulnerabilities as the second cause of anxiety disorders. These vulnerabilities mainly entail people’s beliefs that expose or predispose them to anxiety. These could entail people’s emotional states, their perceived control or lack thereof of their emotional states, and beliefs concerning life’s issues. Lastly, Barlow identified a third vulnerability known as the specific psychological vulnerability that details the specific predispositions of a person to certain disorders. According to Brown & Naragon-Gainey (2013), this third vulnerability or cause gains in prominence through a person’s belief that certain situations or sensations are potentially harmful. It is crucial to note that such beliefs are often not credible or founded on objectivity. For example, Brown & Naragon-Gainey (2013) opine that some beliefs could develop as a result of the fears parents had. Therefore, the third vulnerability is acquired and gains in prominence after it becomes associated with certain sensations, a state, or even an object (Brown & Naragon-Gainey, 2013).
Overview of the Transdiagnostic Factor
As a transdiagnostic factor, attachment happens to help enhance the study of psychopathology by making the study of “emotion regulation and mental health” possible (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2012). Every person craves attention and affective bonds in life. However, how every person gets to demand attention and develop affective bonds with other people is highly dependent on how they grew up. According to Levy et al. (2015), attachment is an innate trait that makes infants seek security from their caregivers. Further, the researchers note that in times of stress, infants happen to yield or defer their stress to their caregivers, thus remaining in positions of comfort regardless of their surroundings. The attachment theory was developed against the backdrop of Bowlby’s research. Mikulincer & Shaver (2012) indicate that Bowlby outlined the instances in which infants feel a sense of security while with their caregivers and the instances that happen to bring about a sense of insecurity. Apparently, when caregivers happen to be sensitive and responsive to the needs of the infants, they feel a sense of security. However, the opposite holds true whenever caregivers do not seem sensitive and responsive to the needs of infants. Such factors happen to influence the lives of people to their adulthood stage.
With regards to anxiety disorder, the different attachment types or categories happen to influence people differently. In an instance where the style of parenting induces a sense of security and belonging in an infant, the chances are high that the infant will grow to become an adult with a well-balanced approach to situations, and hence with a much less predisposition likelihood to anxiety disorder. Picardi et al. (2013) agree with the sentiments above, noting that in a home where dysfunctional parenting exists, there is a higher likelihood that the risk of anxiety-related psychopathology will be high in an individual later in life. Therefore, attachment plays a crucial role in how people end up dealing with the daily issues of life in adulthood.
Overview of Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety involves a feeling of fear and uneasiness. Occasional anxiety is a normal part of life (Özdin & Bayrak Özdin, 2020). It is usually a mechanism for the brain to respond to stress and alert an individual of possible danger. It is common for people to feel anxious from time to time. For instance, a problem at work may cause anxiety. Such anxiety can provide the body with a boost or assist an individual in focusing on the challenge ahead. However, anxiety disorder is different from occasional anxiety. It entails more than temporary worries or fear. Here, the anxiety does not go away and can worsen with time. One way of identifying anxiety disorders is where the symptoms can make it challenging for an individual to undertake daily activities like school, work and relationships (Bisson, 2017). Further, anxiety disorders manifest when someone overreacts to something that triggers their emotions. There are also situations where one cannot control their responses to events. As a result, an anxiety disorder can make it challenging for the patient to get through the day.
The main symptom of anxiety disorder is when someone experiences excessive fear or worry. It is also common for individuals to experience panic, fear, and uneasiness. Feelings of panic and danger are common, making it challenging for the patient to remain calm. Because of excessive fear or worry, some people cannot sleep. Others experience shortness of breath, with some breathing faster than normal (Williams & Car, 2018). Muscles may tense the more someone thinks about the situation. The mouth can become dry with nausea and dizziness. Some people can think about the same issue repeatedly, and they cannot move to something else. As a result, they cannot concentrate on other important things like work and schooling. There is also the likelihood of obsessively avoiding some places or objects that the patient fears.
Genetic factors can cause anxiety disorders. Where anxiety disorders run in the family, the members are more likely to get the disorder (Gottschalk & Domschke, 2022). Secondly, environmental stress is a major contributor to the disorder. Individuals who have gone through stressful events are m...