Intro To Psychiatry

Question 1

Define neurology and psychiatry

Answer 1

Neurology - Disorders of nervous system with established aetiologies, demonstrable anatomical pathology and physical symptoms e.g. Parkinson’s, stroke, epilepsy, brain injury

Psychiatry - disorders of mood, thought and behaviour with no or only minor physical signs with no visible pathology (may be more likely to have condition from anatomical difference but doesn’t mean definitely will)

Question 2

Organic vs functional in psychiatry

Answer 2

Functional - neurotic disorders (everyone expresinces to a degree) e.g. depression, anxiety, phobias or psychotic disorders e.g. schizophrenic, bipolar disorder (only ppl with condition experience)

Organic - e.g. dementia, psychiatric manifestations of epilepsy or Parkinson’s or stroke, acquired or traumatic brain injury (newly caused)

Question 3

What is psychopharmacotherapy?

Answer 3

Identify chemical imbalances, changes in transmitters and receptors and attempt to correct with drugs

Question 4

What is the psychotherapy/ social approach?

Answer 4

Seek to understand, work through, find resolutions/ adaptions based on mental illness resulting from upbringing/ environmental factors

Question 5

Define disorder

Answer 5

Clinically recognisable set of symptoms/ behaviour associated in most cases with distress & interference with personal functions.

Question 6

What is dimensional classification?

Answer 6

Various axes or dimensions e.g. for personality disorder

See slide 29

Question 7

What is continuum classification?

Answer 7

A continuum between healthy and those with disorder, everyone is on a scale e.g. anxiety

Question 8

What is the DSM-3classification of mental health disorders?

Answer 8

Precise operational criteria to be added (inclusion and exclusion criteria etc)

Multi-axial

Grouped disorders (& eliminated term neurosis and hysteria)

Eliminated psychodynamic concepts