Mental Health: Historical Context

Question 1

How many categories are there for the causes of mental illness

Answer 1

3

Question 2

What are the main categories for the causes of mental illness

Answer 2

Supernatural
Somatogenic
Psychogenic

Question 3

Supernatural definition

Answer 3

Possession by evil or demonic spirits, displeasure of gods, eclipses, planetary gravitation, curses, and sin.

Late middle ages: 16th-17th century

Question 4

Somatogenic definition

Answer 4

Where disturbances are identified in physical functioning resulting from either illness, genetic inheritance, or brain damage or imbalance.

18th - 19th century

Question 5

Psychogenic definition

Answer 5

Focuses on traumatic or stressful experiences, maladaptive learned associations and cognitions, or distorted perceptions.

(Google = ‘following 18th century’)

Question 6

Name the time periods and the believed cause / treatment of mental illness for the respective time.

Answer 6

1) Around 400BC: Hippocrate’s theory of humors. - somatogenic theories.

2) Late middle ages (11th -17th century): The church and witch hunts - supernatural theories.

3) 16th - 17th Century: Early asylums - supernatural theories.

4) 18th - 19th Century: Asylum reforms - more humanitarian views / somatogenic theories.

Question 7

Describe Hippocrate’s theory of humors & state what time period it was from / believed.

Answer 7

Time period: Around 400BC.

Attempted to separate superstition and religion and medicine by systematising the belief that a deficiency in or especially an excess of one of the 4 essential bodily fluids (humors) caused mental illness.
-> Blood
-> Yellow bile
-> Black bile
-> Phlegm

Question 8

State what the Late Middle Ages’ thought mental illness was caused by (and the time period).

Also state the treatments used to treat mental illness.

Answer 8

Time period: 11th - 17th century.
-> The church and witch hunts

11th - 15th century:
Supernatural theory. (Fuelled by natural disasters e.g., plagues / famines - people thought it was the Devil).

Common treatments:
Prayer rites, relic touching, confessions, and atonement.

13th century:
Mentally ill (esp. women) began to be persecuted as witches who were possessed.

Question 9

Definition of ‘trepanation’ (/’trepanning’)

Answer 9

Drilling holes into skulls.
(As treatment for mental illness).

(16th century?) - during Late Middle Ages

Question 10

State what the 16th - 17th century believed about mental illness / their stance.

Answer 10

Early asylums.

-> Mission:
House and confine mentally ill (poor, homeless, unemployed, and criminals).

-> inmates were institutionalised against their will, lived in filth, were chained to the wall, and were commonly exhibited to the public for a fee.

Question 11

State what the 18th - 19th century believed about mental illness / their stance.

Answer 11

Asylum reforms.

-> Protests rose over the conditions that the mentally ill lived in.

-> Saw growth of a more HUMANITARIAN VIEW.

-> 1785: (bc. of physician Vincenzo Chiarughi)
Removed the patients chains and encouraged good hygiene and recreational and occupational training.

-> “Treatment moral” created:
Incl: unshackling patients, moving them to well aired, well-lit rooms, and encouraging purposeful activity & freedom to move around the grounds.

Question 12

Outline key changes between the 1970’s to today within the psychiatric hospital.

Answer 12

-> 1970’s:
Large nb. of patients deinstitutionalised.

-> 1980’s:
Budget cuts: lead to even more patients being discharged.
Those in hospital lived in a protected environment but their existence was monotonous.

-> Past 40 years:
Psychiatrists have mainly dispensed drugs rather than reforming and psychotherapy.

-> NHS:
NHS provided funding: most big cities could have a mental hospital were patients could receive treatment and supportive care.

-> Now:
Patients are kept in their natural environment wherever possible and treatment is taken to them.

Question 13

When defining abnormality, what should always be considered?

(What is done as a result?)

Answer 13

Considered:
The fact that psychology deals with INDIVIDUALS and EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT.

Result:
Use a variety of criteria & definitions that fit not only the person but also their behaviour and the context in which that behaviour occurs.

Question 14

Who created the definitions used to define ‘abnormality’?

Answer 14

Rosenhan & Seligman (1995)

Question 15

What were the definitions created by Rosenhan & Seligman used to define?

Answer 15

Abnormality

Question 16

State the key definitions that can be used to define abnormality?

(Overview, not detailed definitions).

[Rosenhan & Seligman (1995)].

Answer 16

1. Deviation from statistical norms.
2. Deviation from social norms.
3. Failure to function adequately.
4. Deviation from ideal mental health.

Question 17

Define the following:

‘Deviation from statistical norms’

Answer 17

Human behaviour can be seen as abnormal if it:

Falls outside a range that is considered statistically typical.

(E.g., as seen on a normal distribution curve - normal = average (middle), abnormal = edge of curve).

Question 18

Define the following:

‘Deviation from social norms’

Answer 18

Where individuals’ behaviour doesn’t conform with societal expectations / norms.

Most members of society are aware of social norms (‘normal’ behaviours), and adjust their behaviour accordingly.
Those who break these norms are often seen as dysfunctional / mentally ill.

Approach takes into account the social desirability of behaviour.

Question 19

Define the following:

‘Failure to function adequately’

Answer 19

If a person is clearly not functioning correctly, and is therefore not (capable of) leading a ‘normal’ life.

There are several ways a person may not be functioning well.

Question 20

What are the several ways a person may not be functioning well?

(and which definition of abnormality does it fall under / link to?)

Answer 20

1. Personal distress
2. Observer discomfort
3. Unpredictable behaviour (inappropriate to situation e.g., over-reaction).
4. Irrational behaviour (does not make sense to others & cannot be reasonably explained by a person).

Question 21

Define the following:

‘Deviation from ideal mental health’

Answer 21

Abnormality is:
A deviation from 6 elements of optimal living. (Proposed by Jahoda [1958]).

Ultimate goal = self-actualisation.

Approach has a positive view on abnormality (listed desirables, not unwanted).

Question 22

Definition of self-actualisation.

Answer 22

When someone develops their abilities to the full.

Question 23

State Jahoda (1958)’s 6 elements of optimal living.

(& which definition of abnormality it falls under / links to).

Answer 23

Deviation from ideal mental health.

1. Have a positive view of yourself.
2. Be capable of some personal growth.
3. Be independent and self-regulating.
4. Have an accurate view of reality.
5. Be resistant to stress.
6. Be able to adapt to your environment.

Question 24

State strength(s) & weakness(es) of:

‘Deviation from statistical norm’

Answer 24

Strengths:
1- Objective
2 - Easy to analyse (visual graph)

Weakness:
1 - Reductionist
-> States peak is most normal.
-> Doesn’t take whole picture into account.

Question 25

State strength(s) & weakness(es) of:

‘Deviation from social norm’

Answer 25

Strength:
1 - Observable

Weakness:
1 - May vary across culture / time periods.
-> Relative

Question 26

State strength(s) & weakness(es) of:

‘Failure to function adequately’

Answer 26

Strength:
1- Practical applications
-> Can give support to those who are observed to need it

Weakness:
1- What is acceptable varies from place to place
-> May only occur for limited / short time period e.g., ill

Question 27

State strength(s) & weakness(es) of:

‘Deviation from ideal mental health’.

Answer 27

Strength:
1- Positive approach to abnormality (defines what is desirable rather than unwanted).

Weakness:
1- Reductionist (limits to only 6 elements - not whole picture).

2- Subjective (could be debated whether individuals follow the 6 elements or not i.e., having ‘an accurate view of reality’.)