Intro Flashcards
Defining psych dis, history shaping today, MH profs
What do psychologists do?
They have an advanced training in the assessment and diagnosis of psychopathology and how to practice psychotherapy.
What do Psychiatrists do?
Have a medical degree (M.D.) with postgraduate training in diagnosis and therapy.
Can prescribe psychotropic medications.
What are the characteristics of psychological disorders?
Personal Distress
Violation of Social Norms
Disability and Dysfunction
(Distress, Deviance, Disability/DIsfunction + unexpectedness)
Why can deviance be problematic when defining a psych dis?
Extreme behaviour is not always a sign of a disorder: criminality, self-expression.
Cultural and temporal relativity
Context is important
Psych dis don’t always involve extreme behaviour.
Why can Distress be problematic when defining a psych dis?
Distress is not always a sign of disorder (grief, child-birth)
Some people are unaware or unburdened by negative effects of their behaviours causing distress to others (Anti-social personality dis, Narcissistic personality disorder)
Why can disability and dysfunction be problematic when defining psych disorders?
apparently high functioning individuals can still be affected, ‘abnormality’ is often private and not visible
how best to define function and success?
What does Stein (2010) say about defining Psych disorders?
-> it involves clinically significant difficulties in thinking, feeling or behaving
-> it usually involves personal distress of some sort, e.g. social relationships or occupational functioning
-> it involves dysfunction in psychological, developmental, and/or neurobiological processes that support mental functioning
he believes…
it is NOT a culturally specific reaction to an event
it is NOT primarily a result of social deviance or conflict with society
what is early demonology?
before the modern age of scientific enquiry, behaviour seemingly out of individual control was often ascribed to supernatural causes.
could you give 3 examples of supernatural explanations to mental disorders/ early demonology?
- demonic possession
- abandonment by God
- witch hunts (were not as common as believed for mental health issues)
Could you please tell me about early biological explanations to psychopathology?
Hippocrates believed mental disturbances have natural causes and that there were three categories of mental disorders:
1. mania
2. melancholia
3. phrenitis
Could you please tell me what Hippocrates believed caused the three mental disorders?
- Mania -> referred to excessive excitement/agitation/hyperactivity. Caused by imbalance of bodily fluids, particularly yellow bile.
- Melancholia -> what we now associate with depression, linked to an excess of black bile leading to deep sadness, withdrawal and introspection.
- Phrenitis -> ‘brain fever’, delirium/confusion, severe infections in the brain
from Hippocrates influence in biological explanations to psychopathology, what did physicians do as treatment?
‘restored natural balance’, tranquiliity, sobriety, care in choosing food
can you please tell me about one of the first mental institutions?
Priory of St. Mary of Bethlehem (founded 1243), first treated sick paupers, then accepted ‘lunatic’ patients.
What was Benjamin Rush known for?
Father of American psychiatry, his treatment was often harsh and cruel. Drawing copious amounts of blood to relieve brain pressure. HE used fear as a cure (to convince the patient the end was near)
Who was Emil Kraepelin?
Kraepelin (1856-1926) established foundations of the modern classification system, considering mental disorders to be distinct ‘syndromes’ rather than a unitary ‘general’ mental illness
What two psych dis did Kraepelin identify in the early ages of psychopathology investigation?
Dementia praecox (renamed schizophrenia by Eugen Bleuler)
Manic Depression
What disorder did Galen (1873) identify?
Anorexia Nervosa -> he built the general framework of there being a connection to loss of appetite and emotional and physical health
What is Nosology? (modern concept)
classification of diseases.
- diseases/disorders may be classified by cause (pathogenesis) or by a common set of biomarkers/symptoms or syndromes.
When pathogenesis is unknown, definition and classifications can be more dififcult
what is pathogenesis?
refers to the processes and mechanisms that contribute to the development and progression of mental disorders. It focuses on how psychological conditions emerge and persist over time, considering biological, environmental and behavioural factors.
what is etiology?
examines the initial causes of a psych disorder
What is epidemiology? and what 4 concepts are related?
Epidemiology: study of frequency and distribution of disorders/diseases
Prevalence: total number (frequency) of cases at a particular time
life-time prevalence: how likely it is that someone from the pop will develop disorder in their lifetime
Incidence: no. of new cases in a given time interval (helps to explore changes in frequency over time)
Co-morbidity: likelihood of distinct ‘diagnoses’ occurring together
What is the definition of disease?
medical condition with a clear cause. etiology is known, easy to identify/diagnose
what is the definition of disorder?
etiology is often unknown. disruption in functions, a group of symptoms make it clear you have a disorder.
what is meant by a syndrome?
a group of symptoms that tend to occur together. (Down syndrome, William Syndrome)
can you describe the concept ‘signs/symptoms’? Terminology for classification in medical science.
abnormalities that can indicate a potential disease/disorder. signs are known as objective indicators (biomarkers) and symptoms are known as subjective indicators
Can you describe the concept ‘course’? terminology for classification in medical science?
how signs and symptoms of a disorder progress over time (incubation. acute, chronic, remission)
which two disorders/diseases were linked and helped to illustrate how biological causes could contribute to mental symptoms?
General Paresis and Syphilis
what is a modern biological approach to development of causation and treatment of psych dis?
some success of medications thought to modulate neurotransmitter levels (serotonin, dopamine, GABA, norepinephrine).
What is psychoanalytic theory?
psychopathology arises from unconscious conflicts between the id, ego and superego, often beginning in childhood. psychoanalysis influential on all modern talking therapies.
what is behaviourism?
importance of conditioning in development and maintenance of emotional responses. Exposure therapy represents one of the most successful treatments for phobias and OCD. <3
What is the importance of cognition and when did it arise to popularity?
in 1960s, studying cognition informed the development of CBT.
-> how people construe themselves and the world is a major determinant of psych dis
-> focus on becoming more aware of maladaptive thoughts
-> changing cognitions to change feelings, behaviours and symptoms
what is a cognitive appraisal?
how an individual interprets something. e.g. hears an ambulance ‘someone’s in trouble’ vs. ‘someone’s getting help’
what are 4 limitations of psychological approaches?
- often difficult to test theories of causation empirically
- no single theory may explain causation of psych dis, nor provide the best approach to treatment
- tends to place emphasis on disorder within the individual, whilst neglecting wider economic, political, and social inequalities (applies to bio approach too)
- many people do not respond positively to talk therapies.
what are the four areas of the multi-path model influencing mental disorders?
- biological: genes, brain anatomy
- psychological: personality, cognition, emotions
- social: family, relationships
- sociocultural: race, gender, sex orientation
