BIOLOGICAL: drug therapy

Question 1

Why is DT an appropriate therapy for the biological approach?

Answer 1

• main assumption is that psychological behaviour is the result of physiological processes
• follows medical model that all psychological illnesses should be treated by physical methods not psychological
• underlying influence of behaviour is NTs (imbalanced and unregulated)
• abnormal behaviour due to faulty NT

Question 2

What are the 3 components of drug therapy?

Answer 2

• blocking receptor sites
• inhibiting re uptake
• prevent release of NT

Question 3

What are the 3 types of DT?

Answer 3

• antipsychotics
• antidepressant
• anti-anxiety

Question 4

Describe how antipsychotics work.

Answer 4

• an excess of dopamine is associated with schizophrenia so antipsychotics aim to block the receptor sites: they bind the receptor sites preventing the post synaptic neuron from taking the NT in so it remains in the synaptic gap
• conventional antipsychotics: combat the positive symptoms of schizophrenia like delusions by blocking dopamine completely. Very severe side effects - zombie like.
• atypical antipsychotics: act temporarily to decrease severe side effects and combat the negative symptoms

Question 5

Describe how antidepressants work

Answer 5

• depression caused by too little serotonin
• treat unipolar depression, bipolar uses antipsychotics
• prevent the reuptake of NT by the presynaptic neuron to increase levels
• selective seretonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) block the NTs route back to the presynaptic neuron so the NT stays in the synapse where it must be absorbed by postsynaptic neuron

Question 6

Describe how anti anxiety drugs work

Answer 6

• stress is thought to be caused by too much seretonin (heightened arousal)
• drugs block the receptor sites on postsynaptic neuron
• benzodiazepines ie Valium increase a chemical called GABA to release Cl ions and block the post synaptic neuron - slows CNS activity
• beta blockers (BB) reduce adrenaline and noradrenalin which slows heart rate and BP decreases which makes a person calmer and more relaxed

Question 7

drug therapy evaluation (effectiveness) : side effects

Answer 7

• a weakness
• some drugs have serious side effects which are unwanted negative affects associated with taking medication - lead to dilemma of whether it is worth taking medication
• eg. nausea, headache and insomnia are side effects of SSRIs and whilst they’re not awful, they do tend to discourage patients which therefore decreases their effectiveness
• biological therapy of drugs lacks face validity as the therapy makes little sense so is less likely to be accurate or effective and therefore less used

Question 8

drug therapy evaluation (effectiveness) : drugs vs placebos

Answer 8

• strength is that placebo research clearly highlights effectiveness of DT
• research shows drugs are more effective than a placebo ( substance that has no chemical effects but a belief - no medical value). Used in drug testing - patients unknowingly get drug or placebo to control unwanted effect of mind>matter
• a study looked at 17 small studies that compared SSRIs to placebos. Patients reported real more effective than placebo. Study by Kahn found 82% of 250 patients found drug superior
• biological therapy of drugs used to treat mental illness can said to be externally valid as they’ve been shown to work in a variety of settings and people

Question 9

drug therapy evaluation (effectiveness) : treat symptoms not cause

Answer 9

• a weakness
• short term solution to a mental illness if symptoms are treated but cause remains
• eg if a person suffers from depression due to serious childhood trauma, antidepressants may provide an effective short term solution but in the long term the root isn’t dealt with - when medication stops the symptoms will return (palliative)
• face validity and application

Question 10

drug therapy evaluation (effectiveness) : easy to administer

Answer 10

• strength
• very little patient involvement which could be beneficial as someone with depression wouldn’t really have much motivation for other therapies
• however drugs do also make the person feel less responsible for recovery which weakens effectiveness
• drug therapy as biological therapy has strong face validity as it makes sense which makes it more accurate and effective

Question 11

drug therapy evaluation (ethics) : placebo research

Answer 11

• weakness
• argued no patient should be given a drug known to be inferior; if there are effective drugs, they should be used as a control, not a placebo that could then cause further distress to a patient
• 17 studies comparing drugs to placebos, 82% find drug more effective
• breaks BPS guidelines as breaks responsibility a doctor has for patients

Question 12

drug therapy evaluation (ethics) : risk of harm

Answer 12

• strength
• where side effects arise they may distress a patient, but it is argued that side effects from drugs are often better than the symptoms of an illness for example it’s better to be nauseas than to be hallucinating someone trying to murder to you (schizophrenia)
• follows BPS guidelines as ensures respect and responsibility

Question 13

drug therapy evaluation (ethics) : lack of valid consent

Answer 13

• weakness
• some mentally ill patients might not be able to fully understand medications and their effects when discussing with a doctor. This links to the issue of risk of harm. Some medical professionals may also withhold info (ie benefits of drug being slim) or exaggerate benefits.
• breaks BPS guidelines as ruins competency and respect and integrity

Question 14

Conclusion for effectiveness of DT (&ethics**)

Answer 14

• drug therapy is an effective therapy but evidence that mental illness stems not just from physical issues but also childhood trauma and faulty thinking
• drug therapy should not be used on its own as it will not be as effective
• should be used with non physical treatment so both symptoms and underlying causes can be treated
• help overcome some of the ethical issues associated too**