Final answer:
An individual inherits a predisposition for schizophrenia, not the condition itself, with environmental factors playing a crucial role in its development.
Step-by-step explanation:
An individual does not inherit schizophrenia but instead inherits a predisposition or susceptibility for becoming schizophrenic. Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. The 2004 study by Tienari and colleagues illustrates that individuals with a high genetic risk of schizophrenia (biological mothers with schizophrenia) and who were raised in disturbed family environments had a significantly higher chance (36.8%) of developing the condition, compared to a much lower likelihood (5.8%) when raised in healthy family environments. This evidence supports the gene-environment interaction model, suggesting that a predisposition for schizophrenia may be inherited, but environmental stressors are also necessary for the condition to manifest.