Mental Health - Area 1

Question 1

What is the aetiology of supernatural perspective of mental health ?

Answer 1

Supernatural phenomena, such as witchcraft, religion and demonic possession. Believed mental health was a punishment for wrongdoings.

Question 2

How did they treat mental health according to the supernatural perspective ?

Answer 2

Said prayers and immersing in holy water as well as exorcisms, trepanning, stretching, starving or whipping.

Question 3

What is the aetiology of humoral theory of mental health ?

Answer 3

Hippocrates argued it was caused by physiological aspects, known as 4 humours; black bile, yellow bile, phlegm and blood.

Question 4

How did they treat mental health according to the humoral theory ?

Answer 4

To redress balance of humours, clinicians would purge patient using emetics, laxatives or bloodletting using leeches. Symptoms were also treated with diet and exercise.

Question 5

What is the aetiology of Psychogenic approach of mental health ?

Answer 5

Mental illness was attributed to psychological factors, rather than physical. Freud stated it was due to unconscious process in the brain.

Question 6

How did they treat mental health according to the psychogenic approach ?

Answer 6

Used psychoanalysis to gain insight into what happened in their past and their thoughts in the unconscious mind. This led to talking therapy.

Question 7

What is the aetiology of somatogenic perspective of mental health ?

Answer 7

Mental health is explained in terms of abnormal brain structure and abnormal levels of neurotransmitters and also inherited genes. Referred to as the Medical Model.

Question 8

How do they treat mental health according to somatogenic perspective ?

Answer 8

Includes electroconvulsive therapy, psychosurgery and psychopharmacology. Drug treatments are said to treat neurochemical dysfunction. This enabled care in the community, as patients could live in their own homes.

Question 9

What is a problem with defining abnormalities ?

Answer 9

Labelling people as abnormal can have profound effects on how they are treated by family, friends, legal systems and doctors.

Question 10

What were the 4 definitions that Rosenhan and Seligman used to describe abnormalities ?

Answer 10

-Statistical infrequency
-Deviation from social norms
-Deviation from ideal mental health
-Failure to function adequately

Question 11

What is deviation from social norms ?

Answer 11

Anyone who behaves differently from societies view of how we should act is deviating from social norms.

Question 12

What is a strength from deviating from social norms ?

Answer 12

Accommodates for different social norms and it distinguishes between desirable and undesirable behaviour.

Question 13

What is a weakness of deviating from social norms ?

Answer 13

States your abnormal just down to individual differences and it may not be mental health issues.

Question 14

What is failure to function adequately ?

Answer 14

When an individual is unable to cope with everyday living in day to day life. Can cause distress to individual and also to others. Is more adaptive to individuals.
Eg., job, eating, keeping clean, leaving house.

Question 15

What is a strength of failure to function adequately ?

Answer 15

-Fits in with what the majority consider ‘abnormal’.
-Recognises subjective experience of patient.
-Easy to judge objectively of clearly identifiable behaviours.

Question 16

What is a weakness of failure to function adequately ?

Answer 16

Related to cultural ideas on how we should live. This results in different diagnoses and lower class more likely to be diagnosed with mental health.

Question 17

What is deviation from ideal mental health ?

Answer 17

Jahoda stated we define physical illness by absence of physical health. She stated that having ideal mental health was down to self esteem, autonomy or personal growth etc.

Question 18

What is a strength of deviation from ideal mental health ?

Answer 18

Looks at mental health rather than mental illness.

Question 19

What is a weakness of deviation from ideal mental health ?

Answer 19

Most people don’t fulfil them most of the time and the criteria are difficult to measure.

Question 20

What is statistical infrequency ?

Answer 20

Majority of peoples scores will be around the mean. 68% of population will fall between mean and anyone who tails is abnormal.

Question 21

What is statistical infrequency in terms of mental health ?

Answer 21

Normal distribution does not apply to mental health as this has a positive skew. Shows majority of symptoms and the few symptoms that are less common.

Question 22

What is a strength of statistical infrequency ?

Answer 22

Some statistical abnormalities are quite desirable for example those who show low depression score.

Question 23

What is a weakness of statistical infrequency ?

Answer 23

Some statistically normal behaviours are undesirable.

Question 24

How did Emil Kraepelin categorise mental health ?

Answer 24

Said mental health was down to psychoses (patient loosing touch with reality) and neuroses (disorders involving anxiety or disturbance).

Question 25

What is the process of diagnosing a disorder ?

Answer 25

-Check individuals symptoms objectively and check which disorder fits those best.
-Treated like physical illness known as the medical model.

Question 26

What is the ICD book ?

Answer 26

International Statistical Classification book of disease and health related problems.
It was produced by the WHO and includes physical and mental disorders.

Question 27

What does ICD contain ?

Answer 27

21 chapters each wither several categories.
-Chapter V = mental disorders split into 11 sub categories.
-F30 = mood affective disorders (depression)
-F20 = Schizophrenia and delusional disorders.

Question 28

What is the DSM- V ?

Answer 28

Diagnostic and Statistical manual of mental disorders.
Based on classification of soldiers during ww2 and is used in USA.
It only contains mental illness.

Question 29

What was the DSM old multi axial approach ?

Answer 29

-Axis 1 = principal disorder (through door)
-Axis 2 = personality disorders
-Axis 3 = Medical or neurological problems.
-Axis 4 = psychosocial stressors
-Axis 5 = level of function coded on scale.

Question 30

How does the DSM work now ?

Answer 30

-Section 1 = shows new change and how to use manual.
-Section 2 = 20 categories of disorders and each disorder is listed in lifespan order.
-Section 3 = assessment tools and introduces cultural concepts and areas where further research is needed.

Question 31

What was the background to Rosenhan’s study ?

Answer 31

-Anti-psychiatry movement criticised the medical model.
-To see if there was any way to reliably identify abnormality, such as insanity.

Question 32

What was part 1 aim in Rosenhan’s study ?

Answer 32

To investigate whether a group of sane people presenting themselves as having a disorder would be diagnosed insane by staff.

Question 33

What was the sample in part 1 Rosenhan’s study ?

Answer 33

Ppts were hospital staff and patients 12 psychiatric hospitals over 5 states across America in the 1960’s. Hospitals were varied size and funding.

Question 34

What was the method for part 1 Rosenhan study ?

Answer 34

Participant, covert observation.

Question 35

Procedure of part 1 Rosenhan study

Answer 35

8 pseudo patients reported hearing voices saying hollow, empty, thud, which weren’t common symptoms of schizophrenia. They also gave false name.
After being admitted they acted normally saying they no longer experience symptoms. Had to convince staff by showing exemplary normal behaviours. Pseudo patients wrote down notes and staff thought it was part of their psychosis.

Question 36

What were the results of diagnosis in part 1 Rosenhan study ?

Answer 36

All 8 were admitted.
All but 1 were given diagnosis of schizophrenia.
Discharged with schizophrenia in remission.
Remained in hospital for 7-52 days.
No pseudo patients were suspected by staff but 35 of 118 patients suspected they were not real patients.

Question 37

What were the results of labelling in part 1 Rosenhan study ?

Answer 37

Normal behaviour was interpreted as a disorder.
Staff interpreted normal history of patient as a schizophrenic reaction.

Question 38

What were the results of depersonalisation in part 1 Rosenhan study ?

Answer 38

Pseudo patients had a lack of privacy: no toilet doors, personal hygiene monitored.
Led to powerlessness.
Patients were unable to initiate contact with staff and they were denied freedom of movement.

Question 39

What is the aim of part 2 Rosenhan study ?

Answer 39

Possible that psychiatrists were overcautious as they didn’t want to miss a diagnosis. Wanted to see if psychiatrists would be under cautious rather than over cautious as they had been told about mistaken diagnosis.

Question 40

What is the sample of part 2 Rosenhan study ?

Answer 40

Staff in 1 psychiatric hospital were informed of the results from experiment 1. Found it hard to believe. Ppts were all staff at the hospital.

Question 41

What is the procedure of part 2 Rosenhan study ?

Answer 41

Staff were informed that in the next 3 months, 1 or more pseudo patients would attempt to be admitted (non were actually presented).
All state members were asked to rate all patients admitted using a 10 point rating scale on confidence they were pseudo patients.

Question 42

What are the results of part 2 Rosenhan study ?

Answer 42

193 patients were admitted for treatment. 41n patients were suspected by 1 member of staff and 23 were suspected by 1 psychiatrist.

Question 43

What is the aim of part 3 Rosenhan study ?

Answer 43

To see if staff behaved differently toward patients compared with an individual asking similar questions in non-clinical environment at Stanford Uni campus.

Question 44

What is procedure of part 3 Rosenhan study ?

Answer 44

Pseudo patients approached staff member asking when they will be presented at staff meetings. Question depended on situation but would always be courteous. In a second condition, confederate approached busy staff members on uni campus asking similar question “Do you know where …”

Question 45

What were the results of part 3 Rosenhan study ?

Answer 45

-4% of pseudo patients received answer from psychiatrist.
-0.5% received answer from a nurse.
-88% of occasions the nurses ignored them.
-14 requests at uni were acknowledged + responded to. Although when asked for psychiatrist, response dropped to 78%.

Question 46

Did Rosenhan study find validity in psychiatrists diagnosis ?

Answer 46

-Diagnosis was not valid because psychiatrists failed to distinguish sane from insane.

Question 47

Dis Rosenhan study find reliability in the diagnosis ?

Answer 47

Diagnosis was reliable as all but 1 pseudo patines were diagnosed with the same disorder.

Question 48

What are affective disorders ?

Answer 48

Referred to as mood disorders as they significantly affect an individuals emotional state. Eg, major depression, manic episodes, bipolar disorders and seasonal affective disorder.

Question 49

What is major depression ?

Answer 49

Most common mental health disorder. 1 in 5 are likely to experience depression in their lives. Affects all age groups but most commonly between 20-30 and 30-40. Females are twice as likely to get diagnosed and it is found in all cultures. Depression can be exogenous or endogenous.

Question 50

What are the ICD symptoms of major depression ?

Answer 50

Has to have 2/3 symptoms and all symptoms should be present all/most of the time for longer than 2 weeks.
-Low moods
-Loss of interest and pleasure
-Reduced energy levels.

Question 51

What are psychotic disorders ?

Answer 51

Characterised by abnormal perception and thinking.

Question 52

What is schizophrenia ?

Answer 52

1%v of global population have this with more males being diagnosed early. It has a range of subtypes, such as paranoid schizophrenia.

Question 53

What are positive symptoms of schizophrenia ?

Answer 53

Where behaviour is exaggerated or added to compared to ‘normal’ behaviour.
-Hallucinations
-Delusions

Question 54

What are negative symptoms of schizophrenia ?

Answer 54

Where the patient lacks normal behaviour.
-Avolition (reduced motivation)
-Alogia (speech poverty)

Question 55

What are cognitive deficits of schizophrenia ?

Answer 55

Where a persons mental processes are affected.
-Disorganised thoughts or speech.
-Thought insertion.

Question 56

What are anxiety disorders ?

Answer 56

Characterised by irrational feelings. people diagnosed with anxiety often have physiological reactions. Phobias are divided sub phobias.

Question 57

What is a specific phobia ?

Answer 57

It is a strong persistent and irrational fear. It is out of proportion to the the risk that the object/ situation presents. An individual takes extreme measures to avoid contact with their phobia. To be clinical it must affect normal life.

Question 58

What are symptoms for a specific phobia ?

Answer 58

1) Marked persistent fear or avoidance.
2) 2 symptoms present together from a list of 14.
3) Significant emotional distress due to avoidance or anxiety symptoms.