What to Know About the Diathesis-Stress Model

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsUnderstanding Diathesis and StressHistoryHow It WorksTypesUsesImpactHow to Manage Your Stress

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Understanding Diathesis and Stress

History

How It Works

Types

Uses

Impact

How to Manage Your Stress

Close

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.

While it sounds a bit confusing, the diathesis-stress model just means that our genetic susceptibilities and environmental stresses interact in ways that sometimes lead to mental health problems. It helps explain why some people don’t develop mental disorders even though they have a family history of certain 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.

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

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 ofschizophrenia.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.

RecapThe diathesis-stress model is one of the most widely accepted theories for explaining the etiology of mental disorders.

Recap

The diathesis-stress model is one of the most widely accepted theories for explaining the etiology of mental 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.

However, it is essential to note that not everyone with a predisposition will develop a mental disorder, just as not everyone who experiences stress is destined to experience mental illness.

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.

The heritability of mental illness ranges from around 40% for depression to about 80% for schizophrenia.

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 ofanxiety disordersare 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 ofdepression, 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

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:

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 asmindfulness-based stress reduction, that might mitigate these risks.

RecapThe diathesis-stress model is a widely accepted theory with important implications for research and treatment. The model has helped to improve our understanding of mental disorders and develop more effective treatments.

The diathesis-stress model is a widely accepted theory with important implications for research and treatment. The model has helped to improve our understanding of mental disorders and develop more effective treatments.

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:

Making lifestyle changes and developing healthy coping mechanisms can help reduce stress and protect your mental health.

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 includesecure attachments, positive relationships, stress management skills, and emotional competence.

Certain traits and characteristics can also make people more resilient to stress. For example, thebig five personality traitsofextroversionandconscientiousnesshave been linked to increasedresilience.

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.

18 Effective Stress Relief Strategies

12 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Broerman R.Diathesis-stress model. In: Zeigler-Hill V, Shackelford TK, eds.Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer International Publishing; 2018:1-3. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_891-1Bernard C.The diathesis-epilepsy model: How past events impact the development of epilepsy and comorbidities.Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2016;6(6):a022418. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a022418Kendler KS.A prehistory of the diathesis-stress model: Predisposing and exciting causes of insanity in the 19th century.AJP. 2020;177(7):576-588. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.19111213Chasiropoulou C, Siouti N, Mougiakos T, Dimitrakopoulos S.The diathesis-stress model in the emergence of major psychiatric disorders during military service.Psychiatriki. 2019;30(4):291-298. doi:10.22365/jpsych.2019.304.291Pettersson E, Lichtenstein P, Larsson H, et al.Genetic influences on eight psychiatric disorders based on family data of 4 408 646 full and half-siblings, and genetic data of 333 748 cases and controls.Psychol Med. 2019;49(07):1166-1173. doi:10.1017/S0033291718002039Daviu N, Bruchas MR, Moghaddam B, Sandi C, Beyeler A.Neurobiological links between stress and anxiety.Neurobiol Stress. 2019 Aug 13;11:100191. doi:10.1016/j.ynstr.2019.100191Generation Scotland, Major Depressive Disorder Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, Arnau-Soler A, et al.A validation of the diathesis-stress model for depression in Generation Scotland.Transl Psychiatry. 2019;9(1):25. doi:10.1038/s41398-018-0356-7Cleynen I, Engchuan W, Hestand MS, et al.Genetic contributors to risk of schizophrenia in the presence of a 22q11.2 deletion.Mol Psychiatry. 2021;26(8):4496-4510. doi:10.1038/s41380-020-0654-3Stice E.Interactive and mediational etiologic models of eating disorder onset: evidence from prospective studies.Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2016;12(1):359-381. doi:10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-021815-093317)Childs E, de Wit H.Regular exercise is associated with emotional resilience to acute stress in healthy adults.Front Physiol. 2014;5:161. doi:10.3389/fphys.2014.00161Sharma S, Mustanski B, Dick D, Bolland J, Kertes DA.Protective factors buffer life stress and behavioral health outcomes among high-risk youth.J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2019 Aug;47(8):1289-1301. doi:10.1007/s10802-019-00515-8de la Fuente J, González-Torres MC, Artuch-Garde R, Vera-Martínez MM, Martínez-Vicente JM, Peralta-S’anchez FJ.Resilience as a buffering variable between the big five components and factors and symptoms of academic stress at university.Front Psychiatry. 2021;12:600240. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.600240

12 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Broerman R.Diathesis-stress model. In: Zeigler-Hill V, Shackelford TK, eds.Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer International Publishing; 2018:1-3. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_891-1Bernard C.The diathesis-epilepsy model: How past events impact the development of epilepsy and comorbidities.Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2016;6(6):a022418. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a022418Kendler KS.A prehistory of the diathesis-stress model: Predisposing and exciting causes of insanity in the 19th century.AJP. 2020;177(7):576-588. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.19111213Chasiropoulou C, Siouti N, Mougiakos T, Dimitrakopoulos S.The diathesis-stress model in the emergence of major psychiatric disorders during military service.Psychiatriki. 2019;30(4):291-298. doi:10.22365/jpsych.2019.304.291Pettersson E, Lichtenstein P, Larsson H, et al.Genetic influences on eight psychiatric disorders based on family data of 4 408 646 full and half-siblings, and genetic data of 333 748 cases and controls.Psychol Med. 2019;49(07):1166-1173. doi:10.1017/S0033291718002039Daviu N, Bruchas MR, Moghaddam B, Sandi C, Beyeler A.Neurobiological links between stress and anxiety.Neurobiol Stress. 2019 Aug 13;11:100191. doi:10.1016/j.ynstr.2019.100191Generation Scotland, Major Depressive Disorder Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, Arnau-Soler A, et al.A validation of the diathesis-stress model for depression in Generation Scotland.Transl Psychiatry. 2019;9(1):25. doi:10.1038/s41398-018-0356-7Cleynen I, Engchuan W, Hestand MS, et al.Genetic contributors to risk of schizophrenia in the presence of a 22q11.2 deletion.Mol Psychiatry. 2021;26(8):4496-4510. doi:10.1038/s41380-020-0654-3Stice E.Interactive and mediational etiologic models of eating disorder onset: evidence from prospective studies.Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2016;12(1):359-381. doi:10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-021815-093317)Childs E, de Wit H.Regular exercise is associated with emotional resilience to acute stress in healthy adults.Front Physiol. 2014;5:161. doi:10.3389/fphys.2014.00161Sharma S, Mustanski B, Dick D, Bolland J, Kertes DA.Protective factors buffer life stress and behavioral health outcomes among high-risk youth.J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2019 Aug;47(8):1289-1301. doi:10.1007/s10802-019-00515-8de la Fuente J, González-Torres MC, Artuch-Garde R, Vera-Martínez MM, Martínez-Vicente JM, Peralta-S’anchez FJ.Resilience as a buffering variable between the big five components and factors and symptoms of academic stress at university.Front Psychiatry. 2021;12:600240. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.600240

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Broerman R.Diathesis-stress model. In: Zeigler-Hill V, Shackelford TK, eds.Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer International Publishing; 2018:1-3. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_891-1Bernard C.The diathesis-epilepsy model: How past events impact the development of epilepsy and comorbidities.Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2016;6(6):a022418. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a022418Kendler KS.A prehistory of the diathesis-stress model: Predisposing and exciting causes of insanity in the 19th century.AJP. 2020;177(7):576-588. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.19111213Chasiropoulou C, Siouti N, Mougiakos T, Dimitrakopoulos S.The diathesis-stress model in the emergence of major psychiatric disorders during military service.Psychiatriki. 2019;30(4):291-298. doi:10.22365/jpsych.2019.304.291Pettersson E, Lichtenstein P, Larsson H, et al.Genetic influences on eight psychiatric disorders based on family data of 4 408 646 full and half-siblings, and genetic data of 333 748 cases and controls.Psychol Med. 2019;49(07):1166-1173. doi:10.1017/S0033291718002039Daviu N, Bruchas MR, Moghaddam B, Sandi C, Beyeler A.Neurobiological links between stress and anxiety.Neurobiol Stress. 2019 Aug 13;11:100191. doi:10.1016/j.ynstr.2019.100191Generation Scotland, Major Depressive Disorder Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, Arnau-Soler A, et al.A validation of the diathesis-stress model for depression in Generation Scotland.Transl Psychiatry. 2019;9(1):25. doi:10.1038/s41398-018-0356-7Cleynen I, Engchuan W, Hestand MS, et al.Genetic contributors to risk of schizophrenia in the presence of a 22q11.2 deletion.Mol Psychiatry. 2021;26(8):4496-4510. doi:10.1038/s41380-020-0654-3Stice E.Interactive and mediational etiologic models of eating disorder onset: evidence from prospective studies.Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2016;12(1):359-381. doi:10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-021815-093317)Childs E, de Wit H.Regular exercise is associated with emotional resilience to acute stress in healthy adults.Front Physiol. 2014;5:161. doi:10.3389/fphys.2014.00161Sharma S, Mustanski B, Dick D, Bolland J, Kertes DA.Protective factors buffer life stress and behavioral health outcomes among high-risk youth.J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2019 Aug;47(8):1289-1301. doi:10.1007/s10802-019-00515-8de la Fuente J, González-Torres MC, Artuch-Garde R, Vera-Martínez MM, Martínez-Vicente JM, Peralta-S’anchez FJ.Resilience as a buffering variable between the big five components and factors and symptoms of academic stress at university.Front Psychiatry. 2021;12:600240. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.600240

Broerman R.Diathesis-stress model. In: Zeigler-Hill V, Shackelford TK, eds.Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer International Publishing; 2018:1-3. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_891-1

Bernard C.The diathesis-epilepsy model: How past events impact the development of epilepsy and comorbidities.Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2016;6(6):a022418. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a022418

Kendler KS.A prehistory of the diathesis-stress model: Predisposing and exciting causes of insanity in the 19th century.AJP. 2020;177(7):576-588. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.19111213

Chasiropoulou C, Siouti N, Mougiakos T, Dimitrakopoulos S.The diathesis-stress model in the emergence of major psychiatric disorders during military service.Psychiatriki. 2019;30(4):291-298. doi:10.22365/jpsych.2019.304.291

Pettersson E, Lichtenstein P, Larsson H, et al.Genetic influences on eight psychiatric disorders based on family data of 4 408 646 full and half-siblings, and genetic data of 333 748 cases and controls.Psychol Med. 2019;49(07):1166-1173. doi:10.1017/S0033291718002039

Daviu N, Bruchas MR, Moghaddam B, Sandi C, Beyeler A.Neurobiological links between stress and anxiety.Neurobiol Stress. 2019 Aug 13;11:100191. doi:10.1016/j.ynstr.2019.100191

Generation Scotland, Major Depressive Disorder Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, Arnau-Soler A, et al.A validation of the diathesis-stress model for depression in Generation Scotland.Transl Psychiatry. 2019;9(1):25. doi:10.1038/s41398-018-0356-7

Cleynen I, Engchuan W, Hestand MS, et al.Genetic contributors to risk of schizophrenia in the presence of a 22q11.2 deletion.Mol Psychiatry. 2021;26(8):4496-4510. doi:10.1038/s41380-020-0654-3

Stice E.Interactive and mediational etiologic models of eating disorder onset: evidence from prospective studies.Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2016;12(1):359-381. doi:10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-021815-093317)

Childs E, de Wit H.Regular exercise is associated with emotional resilience to acute stress in healthy adults.Front Physiol. 2014;5:161. doi:10.3389/fphys.2014.00161

Sharma S, Mustanski B, Dick D, Bolland J, Kertes DA.Protective factors buffer life stress and behavioral health outcomes among high-risk youth.J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2019 Aug;47(8):1289-1301. doi:10.1007/s10802-019-00515-8

de la Fuente J, González-Torres MC, Artuch-Garde R, Vera-Martínez MM, Martínez-Vicente JM, Peralta-S’anchez FJ.Resilience as a buffering variable between the big five components and factors and symptoms of academic stress at university.Front Psychiatry. 2021;12:600240. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.600240

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