Diathesis- This is the genetic predisposition which the Genain children expressed through their father. Mr. Genain had various fears and obsessions such as patrolling the house because he was worried of a break in, forms of paranoia. Since paranoia is a symptom of schizophrenia it is likely that Mr. Genain was schizophrenic and he passed this gene onto the children. Later on, his actions created stress that triggered the schizophrenia in his children.
Stress: Nora and Myra were considered the more superior set of twins and therefore were able to function better than Iris and Hester. This categorization is probably one of the first stressors that caused Iris and Hester to suffer the worst from the disorder. A stress