Mental Health: General terms

Question 1

Supernatural

Answer 1

16th - 17th century: witch hunts.

Belief that mental illness is caused by:
-> Supernatural phenomenon such as demonic spirits / possession, displeasure of the Gods, curses & sin.

Question 2

Somatogenic

Answer 2

18th - 19th century: Hippocrates theory.

Belief that mental illness is caused by:
-> Disturbances in physical functioning resulting from either illness, genetic inheritance, brain damage, or imbalance.

Question 3

Psychogenic

Answer 3

Belief that mental illness is caused by:
-> Traumatic / stressful experiences, maladaptive learned associations and cognitions, or distorted perceptions.

Question 4

Ethnocentrism

Answer 4

The bias (within a sample) between a certain culture / location.

E.g., American mental hospitals in Rosenhan’s study.

Question 5

Depersonalisation

Answer 5

Not recognising a person as human, but by their mental illness / label.

Question 6

Powerlessness

Answer 6

Patients couldn’t change the doctors perception of them in Rosenhan’s study

-> Unable to change conditions.

Question 7

Neurotransmitter

Answer 7

The chemicals which allow the transmission of signals from one neuron to the receptors in the next neuron across synapses.

E.g., serotonin, dopamine & noradrenaline (norepinephrine).

Question 8

Dopamine hypothesis

Answer 8

That too much dopamine may lead to overstimulation of cells, and explain in particular the positive symptoms of schizophrenia.

High = schizophrenia
Low = Parkinson’s

Question 9

Monozygotic twins

Answer 9

Identical twins

Question 10

Dizygotic twins

Answer 10

Non-identical twins

Question 11

Concordance rate

Answer 11

The extent to which 2 people (e.g., family members) are similar to each other.

Question 12

ECT

Answer 12

Electro-Convulsive Therapy.
(Biological treatment: Schizophrenia)

-> Either unilateral (electrode on 1 temple) / bilateral (both).
-> Involves patient receiving a short acting anaesthetic and muscle relaxant before a shock is administered.
-> Small current is passed through the brain for 1/2 second.
-> Given 3 times per week up to 5 weeks.

Question 13

Psychosurgery

Answer 13

Neurosurgery / surgery on the brain.

Neurosurgical treatment of mental disorder.

(To correct brain structure that may be responsible for mental disorder e.g., schizophrenia).

Question 14

Drug treatment

Answer 14

Chemotherapy

Biological treatment for schizophrenia.

E.g., antipsychotics (can be used by reducing symptoms by inhibiting effect of dopamine).

Most common treatment: quick and effective, but have side effects.