Chapter 16

Question 1

What is Visual Literacy?

Answer 1

To enhance inspection skills by learning “visual literacy”; the ability to reason physiology and pathophysiology from careful and unbiased observation.

Question 2

What are Antipsychotic Drugs?

Answer 2

Drugs that block or reduce sensitivity of brain receptors that respond to dopamine. Some increase level of serotonin (inhibits dopamine activity).They can relieve positive symptoms of schizophrenia but can worsen negative symptoms (or are just ineffective).

Question 3

What are Antidepressant Drugs?

Answer 3

Drugs that elevate norepinephrine and serotonin in the brain. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), Tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). St. John’s wort.

Question 4

What are Tranquilizers?

Answer 4

They increase the activity of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). They were developed for treatment of mild anxiety and often inappropriately prescribed by general physicians for patients who complain of any mood disorder.

Question 5

What is Lithium Carbonate?

Answer 5

A treatment for bipolar disorder that moderates levels of norepinephrine or by protecting cells from being overstimulated by the neurotransmitter, glutamate. Must be given in the right dose and bloodstream levels need to be monitored. Newer drug treatments for bipolar disorder include Tegetrol and Depakote.

Question 6

What is the Placebo effect?

Answer 6

The apparent success of a treatment that is sue to the patient’s expectation of the drug’s effectiveness rather than to the drug or treatment itself.

Question 7

Why is relapsing a problem with drug treatment plans?

Answer 7

There may be short term success but many patients (50-60%) stop taking medication due to side effects. Individuals who take antidepressants without learning to cope with problems are more likely to relapse.

Question 8

What are problems with dosage?

Answer 8

It is difficult in finding the correct amount of medication that is not going to overload the systems but it still enough to work. Drugs metabolized differently in different people.

Question 9

What are the long-term risks with drug treatment?

Answer 9

Antipsychotic drugs can be dangerous, possibly fatal, if taken for years. Antidepressants are assumed the same but no long-term studies have occurred.

Question 10

What is Psychosurgery?

Answer 10

Any surgical procedure that destroys selected areas of the brain believed to be involved in emotional disorders or violent, impulsive behaviour. Direct brain intervention.

Question 11

What is Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)?

Answer 11

A procedure used in cases of prolonged and severe major depression, in which a brief brain seizure is induced. Direct brain intervention.

Question 12

What is Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation?

Answer 12

Involves use of a pulsing magnetic coil held to a person’s skull over the left prefrontal cortex. This area is less active in those with depression. Treatment does not result in pain or memory problems, and controlled studies suggested positive results.

Question 13

What is Psychoanalysis?

Answer 13

A Psychodynamic Therapy; a method of psychotherapy developed by Freud that emphasizes the exploration of unconscious motives and conflicts. Free Association; a method of uncovering unconscious conflicts by saying freely whatever comes to mind.

Question 14

What is Transference?

Answer 14

Psychodynamic Therapy; a critical step in which the client transfers unconscious emotions or reactions, such as conflicts about his or her parents, onto the therapist.

Question 15

What is Behaviour Therapy?

Answer 15

A form of therapy that applies principles and techniques of classical and operant conditioning to help people change self-defeating or problematic behaviours. Involves systematic desensitization (couterconditioning), exposure treatments, flooding (person taken into the situation they fear), behavioural records, and skills training (teach new skills to replace destructive ones).

Question 16

What is Cognitive Therapy?

Answer 16

Identifies dysfunctional schemas, and challenges client’s unrealistic beliefs. Examines the evidence for beliefs, considers other explanations for the behaviour of others. Identifies assumptions and biases - Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (designed to challenge the client’s unrealistic or irrational thoughts). Techniques (Meichenbaum) - “Stress Inoculation” [education, rehearsal, implementation].

Question 17

What is Humanist Therapy based on?

Answer 17

The assumption that people seek self-actualization and self-fulfillment. Emphasizes people’s free will to change, not their past conflicts.

Question 18

What is Client-Centred Therapy (Humanist)?

Answer 18

Developed by Carl Rogers, it emphasizes the therapist’s empathy with the client, seeing the world as the client does, and creating a climate of Unconditional Positive Regard (wrongly called nondirective).

Question 19

What is Focusing (Humanist Therapy)?

Answer 19

Developed by Eugene Gendlin and Carl Rogers, it is learning how to gain direct access to a bodily knowing. Finding the entry point to your embodied knowledge (the Felt Sense), the unclear felt sense can be “open” into a whole field of intricate detail, from which surprising steps of change come. Today people live at various distances from this bodily source.

Question 20

What is Existential Therapy?

Answer 20

Helps clients explore the meaning of existence and face with courage the great issues of life such as death, freedom, free will, alienation, and loneliness. People become more aware of these goals (not dealt with directly) with a deeper reflections of self in a realistic manner. Positive self-deception.

Question 21

What is Family and Couple Therapy? (von Bertalanffy - General Systems Theory)

Answer 21

Problems develop in the context of family and are sustained by the dynamics of the family; any changes made will affect all members of the family.Can look for patterns of behaviour across generations and create a family tress of psychologically significant events. Genograms.

Question 22

What is the Primary Goal of Psychodynamic Therapy?

Answer 22

Insight into unconscious motives and feelings by probing the unconscious through dream analysis, free association, and transference.

Question 23

What is the Primary Goal of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy?

Answer 23

Modification of behaviour and irrational beliefs. Behavioural techniques such as systematic desensitization, flooding; cognitive exercises to identify and change faulty beliefs.

Question 24

What is the Primary Goal of Humanist Therapy?

Answer 24

Insight; acceptance and self-fulfillment. Providing a safe, judgemental setting in which to discuss life issues.

Question 25

What is the Primary Goal of Family Therapy?

Answer 25

Modification of individual habits and family patterns. Working with couples, families, and sometimes individuals to identify and change patterns that perpetuate problems.

Question 26

What is the Scientist-Practitioner Gap?

Answer 26

Some psychotherapists believe that evaluating therapy using research methods is futile. Scientists find that therapists who do not keep up with empirical findings are less effective and can do harm to clients. Economic pressures require empirical assessment off therapies.

Question 27

Does more therapy result in a healthier client?

Answer 27

With additional therapy sessions, the percentage of people improved increased up to 26 sessions. After that, the improvement starts to level off and becomes more slow and progress is steady.

Question 28

What is the Therapeutic Alliance?

Answer 28

Qualities of the Participants (patients and psychologists) include: Motivation to improve and solve problemsSupport from families and actively deal with problemsEmpathic, warm, and genuine therapists.

Question 29

What are common features of successful therapies?

Answer 29

When there is a bond between therapist and client (therapeutic alliance), when the participants want to be helped, and when the therapist distinguish normal cultural patterns from individual psychological problems. The strongest predictor of a successful outcome of therapy is the client’s perception of the therapist as understanding, accepting, and honest (core conditions).

Question 30

What therapy helps best with: depression?

Answer 30

Cognitive therapy; treatment of mood disorders.

Question 31

What therapy helps best with: anxiety disorders?

Answer 31

Exposure therapy techniques.

Question 32

What therapy helps best with: anger and impulsive violence?

Answer 32

Cognitive therapy.

Question 33

What therapy helps best with: health problems?

Answer 33

Cognitive and behaviour therapies are effective; focussing is effective for chronic pain/illness.

Question 34

What therapy helps best with: childhood and adolescent behaviour problems?

Answer 34

Behaviour therapy; relapse preventation.

Question 35

What therapy helps best with: quality of life?

Answer 35

Psychodynamic; cognitive behavioural; humanistic (individual and encounter groups).

Question 36

When does Therapy harm?

Answer 36

Unethical behaviour on the part of the therapist.Prejudice or cultural ignorance on the part of the therapist.Inappropriate or coercive influence, which can create new problems for the client.The use of empirically unsupported, potentially dangerous techniques.