Mental health topic 1 = Historical views of mental health Flashcards
4 historical views of mental illness
Demonic possession
Humourism
Animalism
Moral treatment
Demonic possession as a cause for mental illness
Those suffering with poor mental health/showed abnormalities were possessed by demons (cave dwellers)
What kind of demons could possess people, according to cavemen?
Gods
Spirits of ancestors
Spirits of animals
What was the cause behind possession by demons?
Lack of faith in God
Because of another source eg the devil
What was the old treatment for mental illness caused by demonic possession
Drill holes into skulls (called trephines) with tools
To release spirit from skull
Demonic possession is a….
Supernatural explanation for mental illness
Humourism as a belief for the cause of mental illness
Mental health and functioning of the brain is dependent on balances of 4 liquids (humours) in body: phlegm, blood, yellow bile, black bile
Imbalances can cause certain disorders and problems
Example of applied humourism
Too much blood leads to a manic state
Treatments using humourism theory
Remove or add the imbalanced humour to prevent the problem: bloodletting through leeches, laxatives
Animalism belief as a cause for mental health disorders
If behaviour was disordered and wild, this is because the mentally ill are considered wild like animals
Because what distinguishes humans from animals is reason and they have lost reason
According to animalism, how can disorder be treated?
By treating those who show wild behaviour like animals
Locking/chaining up, whipping, blistering (torture)
To restore reason which is best done through inflicting fear
Humourism and animalism are….
Somatogenic explanations that behavioural traits and personality are due to physical/Anatomical functioning
Moral treatment
Idea that the cause for mental illness could be social stress, congenital (from birth) or physical injury
Argued for less violent treatment of patients
According to moral treatment, how can we treat disorders?
Do not restrain by chains, let them outside to exercise, friendly relationship to doctor, keep detailed case files on patients to monitor progress
Moral treatment is….
Etiological theory, argues how care and treatment occurs
Physiogenic explanation that cause is due to past traumatic experience
Seligman and Rosenhan’s theory on defining abnormality
An abnormality thus deviation of normal mental health can be defined in 4 ways:
-Behaviour is statistical infrequency
-Failure to function adequately
-Deviation from social norms
-Deviation from ideal mental health
Defining abnormality as a statistical infrequency
Any behaviour shown less frequently than normal (rare) should be regarded as abnormal as it is not a statistical norm for that society
Problems with defining abnormality by statistical infrequency
Rare behaviours aren’t necessarily a sign of mental illness, could be a fully neutral or even progressive choice made by someone fully in control of their actions
Defining abnormality as a failure to function adequately
If someone has no ability to live a ‘normal’ life:
Holding down a job
Maintain relationship
Looking after yourself
Interacting with society
Problems with Defining abnormality as a failure to function adequately
Assumes given cultural idea’s views of a normal life are the standard and deviations of this is a sign of mental illness: not objective and is ethnocentric
There may be external barriers to why someone cant function adequately outside of mental health, eg financial struggle prevents someone maintaining relationship, educational barrier prevents finding of a job
Defining abnormality as a deviation from social norms
If someone’s behaviour deviates from the behaviour deemed normal by the society they live in
Problems with Defining abnormality as a deviation from social norms
Assumes given cultural idea’s views of a normal life are the standard and deviations of this is a sign of mental illness: not objective and ethnocentric
Social norms can vary quite quickly over time so does not allow for standardised criteria to measure someone’s abnormality
Defining abnormality as deviation from ideal mental health
If you don’t have ideal mental health: positive self image, capable of growth and development, rational view of reality etc
Problem with Defining abnormality as deviation from ideal mental health
These deviations could be due to outside factors instead of mental illness eg surrounded by bad people
Cultural differences in what is considered poor mental health
