Biological Approach Flashcards
What are the four causes?
Genes, viral infection, neurotransmitters and inherited traits
Why is it a medical model?
Because mental disorder is regarded and treated like a physical illness
Malfunctioning….
Bodily systems
It was invented as..
A form of social control
It isn’t supported by…
Individual differences e.g. Many schizophrenics may have high levels of dopamine and others don’t
No evidence of a?
100% concordance rate in mono zygotic twins
Experiments used to test the effect of
Drugs and therefore support the causal role of neurotransmitters
Correlation
E.g. Twins or family study’s to produce concordance rates
Conventional antipsychotics used to
Combat the positive symptoms of schizophrenia, they work by blocking the action of dopamine to the brain
Anti depressants increase…
The availability of dopamine e.g. Blocking its re absorbtion (ssri’s)
Effective
Better than placebos
It’s relatively
Easy to use
Best in conjunction with
Psychotherapy
Placebos
Are just as effective e.g. Kirsch et al
Tackles
The symptom not the problem
ECT- used for
Sever depression, a last resort, to reduce the chance of suicide
Name to stages of ECT
The patient is given muscle relaxant as well as oxygen, when they are unconscious they are given a 0.6 amp shock to give them a seizure that lasts 1/2 a second
How many treatments are needed
3 - 15
It can be
Unilateral or bilateral
What percentage of patients recover
60-70%
How many are claimed to relapse?
84% in 6 months
Some patients recover with…
Sham ECT’s
What are the side effects?
Memory loss and increased levels of fear and anxiety
What percentage of patients were not properly informed?
50%
