ALTERNATIVES TO MEDICAL MODEL

Question 1

Psychodynamic explanation of mental illness

Answer 1

Phobias form from unconscious unresolved conflicts from childhood (Freud)
Defence mechanisms (protection, displacement, etc)
Overuse of these methods leads to mental illness

Question 2

Research to support psychodynamic explanations

Answer 2

Thigpen and Cleckley
Eva White- multiple personalities
Eva experienced number of distressing events in childhood (e.g. finding a dead body in a ditch)
They argued her ego could not deal with anxiety which she experienced, so she became fragmented and ‘became’ other people to cope with life

Question 3

Strengths of psychodynamic explanations

Answer 3

First perspective which highlights importance of childhood experiences- leading to treatments focussing on conflict resolution
Evidence suggests Px that have mental illnesses can recall traumatic experiences- suggesting influences in developing disorders

Question 4

Weaknesses of psychodynamic explanations

Answer 4

Psychic determinism- mental illness caused by conflicts in the psyche brought on by a traumatic experiences (ignores biology)
Explanations based on unconscious conflicts, difficult to test scientifically- explanation is plausible but lacks scientific validity

Question 5

Psychodynamic treatment

Answer 5

Works by resolving unconscious thoughts by by discussing and accepting it
Dream analysis- therapists role is to uncover the ‘latent’ content which is what the dream symbolises
Condensation of dreams, condense issues into a few things

Question 6

Strengths of psychodynamic treatment

Answer 6

Understand meaning behind dreams

Highlights unconscious thoughts- confront and overcome

Question 7

Weaknesses of psychodynamic explanations

Answer 7

Subjective- analyst needs to interpret dream