Smyth+Answer+1

The diathesis-stress model explains the relation among the environment, genetics, and stress. It basically states that if one is depressed, it is caused by a combination of genetics and environment. If one has a genetic vulnerability to depression, it might never reveal its self if their is not a traumatic environment to stimulate it. If both the genetics and the environment are present, the depression will manifest its self. It is also possible that if the environment is overly traumatic, it will only take the slightest genetic predisposition to set it off. This model helps psychologists in many ways. For instance, those treating depression patients can use this model as a basis to determine what they look for. If they can not find an overly traumatic environment, then they can look into the genetics side of it by asking parents questions about their teenage years. If there is no genetic factor, they can then look deeper into the environmental factor.