Behavioral Psychology CH. 18 Flashcards
Therapeutic help
Clinical psychologists
have a specialized psychological training and are able to undertake a wide variety of therapies, either with individuals or with groups, including families.
Psychiatrists
have a medical training and are specialized in psychiatric medicine. Although they might develop therapeutic skills, their major approach is based on drug intervention.
Counselors
are trained (to a greater or lesser degree) in counseling skills. They undertake therapeutic interventions but not with the same degree of individual psychological knowledge as the clinical psychologist.
Psychiatric social workers and psychiatric nurses
also care for those with some of the more extreme mental health problems but their skills in psychologically based therapy are necessarily limited.
Anxiety-reducing drugs
mostly tranquillizers (also known as benzodiazepines).
o They depress the action of the central nervous system.
o They reduce tension but raise sleepiness.
o Often over-prescribed and misused.
o Short-term solution treats the symptom not the cause.
Anti-psychotic drugs
work on the dopamine system in the brain, by blocking the dopamine receptors.
o Do not cure schizophrenia but help to reduce symptoms such as hallucinations.
o Do not work for all schizophrenics and often have side-effects.
Anti-depressants
work to elevate mood.
o Work through two neurotransmitters in the brain, norepinephrine and serotonin.
o One type blocks an enzyme that destroys norepinephrine and serotonin.
o One type prevents the re-uptake of these neurotransmitters and so prolongs their effectiveness.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
involves the passing of a mild electric current across the brain and has an effect not unlike a mild epileptic seizure.
o Can cause memory loss.
o Used on cases of severe depression.
double blind
one group of patients is given the drug and another group of patients is given the placebo, with neither patients nor the researchers knowing which is which until afterwards.
Psychological therapies
use psychological rather than physical means to bring about changes.
o They deal with thoughts, feelings and behaviors.
Psychoanalytical/psychodynamic therapies
is the need to understand the unconscious, concentrating on its formation from the early relationships in a person’s life, particularly with the parents.
o The aim is to bring any underlying conflicts that might be lurking in the unconscious up into awareness.
o Techniques involve free association and analysis of dreams.
Free association
is listening to what a patient might say in free response to certain key words.
Transference
the patient makes the therapist into the object of his or her emotional reactions.
Counter transference
the therapist makes the patient the object of his or her emotional reactions.
Behavioral Therapies
based on the principles of learning and conditioning.
o Very specific to behavior that occurs in particular settings and is predicated on very clear aims that are discussed with the patient about exactly what needs to change.
o Deals solely with behavior.
