Healthy Minds Flashcards
How are mental disorders diagnosed?
DSM-V - diagnostic and statistical manual to diagnose mental illness
The DSM-V outlines the main diagnoses and related characteristics and statistics relating to all types of mental illness
Diagnosis can only made by a qualified health professional
What do people need to be considered mentally unhealthy?
Maladaptive
Everyday behaviour is impaired or affected
Ie. drugs, alcohol consumed in excess
Deviance from normal
Clients social and cultural context, as well as developmental stage
Personal distress
Frequent diagnosis made on basis of report of great personal stress
What is depression?
An extended experience of negative emotions, thoughts, behaviours and functioning for at least two weeks. One of the most common mental health disorders. Each symptom of depression fits into one of the four levels of explanation of behaviour. Has to occur longer than two weeks
Biological aspect of depression?
Whilst no one is sure how depression develops,
Change in the brain chemistry is likely Reduced levels of serotonin (feeling content)
Common amongst families, thought to be hereditary
Overuse of substances such as alcohol and drugs is associated with higher vulnerability to depression
Biological symptoms of depression
Headache
Digestion issues
Chronic pain
Insomnia
Increase or decrease in appetite
Imbalance of neurotransmitters (serotonin)
Inactive left frontal lobe of brain (during the depression)
Genetic inheritance
Increased daytime fatigue
Many people with depression have difficulty concentrating and making decisions
memory is often poorer than normal
Appear to access negative thoughts and emotions more readily than positive ones
Basic processes symptoms of depression
Feelings of increase sadness/unhappiness
Low self-esteem
Unclear thinking
Learned helplessness
Depressive thinking styles - pessimistic
Thoughts of suicide and/ or self harm in serious cases
What is learned helplessness?
Results when a person or animal is prevented repeatedly from avoiding some aversive stimulus and becomes passive and depressed
Person aspect of depression
Research shows people who develop depression have personality types which include
Less flexibility
Strongly emotional
Worrier
Women more likely to be diagnosed with depression than men - vulnerable at beginning of adolescents, childbirth and menopause → estrogen levels reduce and testosterone increase
Men appear to be more vulnerable at retirement during ling periods of unemployment and following
Person symptoms of depression
Loss of once pleasurable activities Inflated / deflated sense of self importance Poor judgement Lowered comprehension Impulsivity
Socio-cultural level of depression
People without supportive social networks are more vulnerable to depression
In some cultures, depression is considered shameful and stigma of mental illness is very apparent
Socio-cultural symptoms of depression
Diminished involvement with others
Strained relationship with family/ friends
Loss of social skills
inappropriate/ maladaptive social behaviour
Abuse
Biological treatments for depression
Antidepressant medication
Several different types of antidepressants
SSRIs - help to enhance the function of nerve cells in the brain that can regulate emotions
Intake serotonin
Electric shock therapy (electroconvulsive therapy) -ECT
Extreme, severe depression
Involves passing a carefully controlled electric current through the brain which affects the brains activity with the aim of reducing severe depressive symptoms
Modern day ECT is very safe however has risk factor of reducing memory, so is only used when absolutely necessary
Basic process treatment for depression
Cognitive behavioural therapy
Structured psychological treatment which recognises the way we think (cognition) and act )beh) affects the way we feel
Involves a professional therapist to identify thought and behaviour patterns that make someone more likely to be clinically depressed
Most effective and used on all age groups
Thoughts → Behaviour
Interpersonal therapy
What is interpersonal therapy?
Basic process treatment for depression
Focuses on problems with personal relationships and the impact they can have on developing depression
IPT helps to recognise patterns in relationships that make people more vulnerable to depression and by identifying patterns can help client improve on these relationships, acne, reduce symptoms of dep
Person treatments for depression
Assertiveness training
Depressions can develop due to a lack of confidence in environment
Aims to help clients become more assertive without becoming aggressive with the aim of reducing depressive symptoms
Role Playing - I statements
Minimal risk - very ethical
Socio-cultural treatments for depression and anxiety
Support groups
Belonging to a recognised support group for depression seen to have positive results
Hearing and talking to other who know what client is going through promotes feelings of belonging and not being alone
Can do this in person and online
What is anxiety?
There are many different types of anxiety disorders, however all of them have the experience of strong and/ or frequent anxiety or fear.
What are some types of anxiety disorders?
Phobia Panic disorder Obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) Social phobia
Biological aspect of anxiety
Fight or flight response much more active
Research suggests that there are genetic markers for vulnerability to anxiety disorders
Evidence to also support it is genetic
Biological Symptoms of Anxiety
Headaches -dehydration Trembling - adrenalin Nausea - blood away from digestion area Muscle tension Dizziness Insomnia Genetic factors Heart palpitations Chest pain Sweating
Basic Processes aspect of anxiety
Classical conditioning can shape some aspects of anxious responses
Anxious people often have interpretation bias where they perceive information form others as negative towards themselves
Often memory is impaired due to an inattention to task and worry about other aspects
Always triggered in a negative way
E.g fire siren cause stress to 9/11 victims
Basic process symptoms for anxiety
Magnify threats and failures Fear, worrisome thoughts Irrational fears Fears of panic and public scrutiny Hypersensitive to criticism Worried about potential mistakes Avoidance Persistent unwanted thoughts Feelings of anxiety, confusion, resentfulness
Person aspect of anxiety
Takes into account an individual’s past experiences, personality style, attitudes and beliefs and stress management skills
Women are more likely to have anxiety.
Person symptoms of anxiety
personality traits of people with anxiety
Unable to cope
Not confident, focus on perceived threats
High stress levels
Neuroticism
Socio-cultural aspect of anxiety
Anxiety disorders can develop from a traumatic event based on a person’s social, socio economic, political, religious or cultural affiliation
E.g war, abuse, poverty
Socio-cultrual symptons of anxiety
Fast paced lives Environmental stressors Decreased job security Lack of family support Avoidance of group or work colleagues Avoidance of social contact - crowds Social phobia DIFFERENT FOR EVERY CULTURE
Biological treatment for anxiety
Anti anxiety meds
Most common types are benzodiazepines – type of tranquilisers and/or sleeping pills (depends on type).
Promote relaxation and reduce muscle tension.
Should only be used for a short amount of time as they become addictive.
Should also be used in conjunction with other treatments, not as only treatment for anxiety.
Antidepressant medication
Some types of antidepressants are effective for anxiety, even if the client is not experiencing depression symptoms.
Correct the imbalance of chemical messages between nerve cells and the brain.
Basic process treatments for anxiety
CBT
Change thoughts about the act, object or event → change beh
To improve the way you cope with situations and highly effective
Usually combo with meds
Up to person to be committed
Person treatments for anxiety
Assertiveness training
Anxiety can develop due to lack of trait confidence in the workplace, at home or in social situations.
Assertiveness training aims to help clients become more assertive without becoming aggressive with the aim of reducing anxious symptoms and thoughts.
Role playing exercises conducted with ‘I’ statements.
Minimal risk involved – very ethical treatment
What is stigma
There is no evidence to suggest there is a link between mental illness and violence, and this notion should not be used to reinforce stigma and discrimination against people.
What are risk factors?
situations which could cause anxiety or depression
E.g Genetic predisposition - risk factors (natural disaster) could trigger it
What are protective factors?
what could prevent anxiety or depression
What are coping strategies?
there are coping strategies that people can employ to deal with everyday symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Coping strategies are things that you can do to help yourself, before seeking help from professionals (if needed)
Collectively known as ‘Stress Management Therapy.’
Strategies use in treating depression and/or anxiety both in and outside of therapy sessions.
Psychologists will identify triggers, causes and accelerators of mental illness symptoms, then recommend several coping strategies.
Some may include yoga, meditation, exercise, time management techniques, proper nutrition, saying ‘no’ more often, and many more.
biological coping strategies
Physical exercise
Can be helpful for depression and ‘down’ emotional state.
Can also be helpful for anxiety as it burns away stress chemicals of cortisol and epinephrine.
Increases self esteem.
Proper Nutrition
Lowering fat, salt and sugar intake and increasing protein, vitamin and mineral intake.
Circadian rhythms not affected, therefore more energy.
Physically feel better.
Basic process coping strategies
Challenging negative thoughts
Often we make predictions of ourselves and we are our own worst enemy.
Such thoughts can be challenged by thinking of helpful or beneficial ways of thinking about the situation > make us realise they are just perceptions and not reality.
E.g. Invitation to a party > ‘No one will talk to me’ > Challenge: I don’t know they wont talk to me; I could invite my friend along; I could just start talking to people etc.’ > situation does not seem as daunting > more positive outlook.
Planning and problem solving
Writing down how you plan to tackle problems/goals is helpful.
Helps to prioritise what is most important and what is not as important at the time.
Decide which task/s you can do on your own and which you need help with.
Person coping strategies
Will depend on the individual differences of each person and their individual needs.
Common person coping strategies include: Art/colouring books Reading books Video games Music – listening and/or playing Etc.
socio-cultural coping strategy
Social involvement
People with a network of friends and family are less likely to experience mental disorders.
Sense of belonging.
Discussion helps us feel more supported and might help our perception of issue.Can come in many forms such as:
Sporting clubs
Dance/drama/clubs
Music bands
Online groups and chat rooms
Friendship groups
Support network of parents, family, teachers, counsellors etc.
Ethics of healthy minds
There is a duty of care and ethical code for professionals working with people who have a mental illness to protect their rights and dignities
Diagnosis of mental illness is far from straightforward and adequate evidence needs to be compiled before a diagnosis should be made
Diagnosis of a mental illness can be both helpful and harmful.
Diagnosis is fraught with difficulty, so to is treatment and what is most effective for patients
There are laws in place to protect people with a mental illness, this may mean involuntary admission to a psychiatric ward if people are considered a danger to themselves or others, however most psychiatric wards in Australia have a majority of patients that are there on a voluntary basis.
No psychological/ physiological stress
Consent
Debrief
Method of assessing depression and anxiety
Clinical interviews
Uses qualitative data to gain more information and make possible diagnosis.
Self-reports
Diaries, rating scales etc. Uses subjective quantitative and qualitative data.
Objective quantitative methods
EEG machines, heart rates, blood pressure, blood tests etc - cat scans show stimulation
What is resilience?
is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress - such as family, relationship problems, serious health problems or workplace and financial stressors.
Means to bounce back from difficult situations
What are the three types of resilience?
Overcoming the odds
Sustained competence under stress
Recovery from trauma
What other points are important to note with resilience?
Being resilient does not mean that someone experiences stress of difficulty
Emotional pain and sadness are common in people who have suffered major adversity or trauma in their lives
Road to resilient involves immense emotional distress
It is not a trait
It involves behaviour, thoughts and actions that can be learned and developed in anyone.
biological factors influencing resilience
sleep, exercise, eating, minimal drug use
basic processes factor influencing resilience
cognition (positive mindset), perspective, emotions, learning, memory
Person factor influencing resilience
Eysenck theory - people with better impulse control are able to navigate means for stability
socio-cultrual factor influencing resilence
caring and supporting relationships, socio-economic advantage, positive school/ work environment, school acheivement - recognition of acheivements in school or work, cultrual pride - active, positive involvement in cultrual and community pride
What are psychological or biological interventions
CBT (basic processes) Assertiveness Training (person) Systematic Desensitisation (basic processes) ECT (biological) Drug Treatment (biological)
Ad and dis for CBT
Advantages
Evidence for longer, more extended success
Can use strategies again if symptoms resurface
Applicable to all age groups and demographics, men and women.
Disadvantages
Sometimes difficult to change thought process for severe depression and/or anxiety.
Can be very confronting being diagnosed.
Can be very expensive.
ad and dis for systematic desensitisation
Advantages
Gradual process of extinguishing strong conditioned response.
Can be more ethical due to gradual approach.
Disadvantages
Can be very slow process.
Can be expensive due to the time it can take for some clients.
Risk of it not being effective.
ad and dis for assertiveness training
Advantages
Minimal risk involved – seen to be a very ethical treatment.
Very practical form of therapy using role plays – can be more successful due to this.
Disadvantages
People can still find therapy intimidating – may make depression/anxiety worse.
Not relevant if cause of mental illness is not in the work place.
Not as widely available/well known as other therapies.
ad and dis for ECT
Advantages
Modern day ECT very safe – delivered by trained health professionals.
Can be very effective in treating severe mental illness.
Disadvantages
Is an intrusive procedure.
Can cause memory problems due to changes in brain.
May not work for everyone.
ad and dis for drug treatment medication
Advantages
Can allow people to function day to day far more effectively.
Used in conjunction with psychological therapy > typically more successful in reducing mental illness.
Readily available in Australia - not every country has access to support them
Disadvantages
May have negative side effects.
Can become addictive.
May refuse to take it
May take several trials of different medications to find the right one, as well as the right dosage. = lots of time
Can take a long time to work i.e. more than two weeks.
