Mental health topic 1 = Historical views of mental health

Question 1

4 historical views of mental illness

Answer 1

Demonic possession
Humourism
Animalism
Moral treatment

Question 2

Demonic possession as a cause for mental illness

Answer 2

Those suffering with poor mental health/showed abnormalities were possessed by demons (cave dwellers)

Question 3

What kind of demons could possess people, according to cavemen?

Answer 3

Gods
Spirits of ancestors
Spirits of animals

Question 4

What was the cause behind possession by demons?

Answer 4

Lack of faith in God
Because of another source eg the devil

Question 5

What was the old treatment for mental illness caused by demonic possession

Answer 5

Drill holes into skulls (called trephines) with tools
To release spirit from skull

Question 6

Demonic possession is a….

Answer 6

Supernatural explanation for mental illness

Question 7

Humourism as a belief for the cause of mental illness

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Example of applied humourism

Answer 8

Too much blood leads to a manic state

Question 9

Treatments using humourism theory

Answer 9

Remove or add the imbalanced humour to prevent the problem: bloodletting through leeches, laxatives

Question 10

Animalism belief as a cause for mental health disorders

Answer 10

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

Question 11

According to animalism, how can disorder be treated?

Answer 11

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

Question 12

Humourism and animalism are….

Answer 12

Somatogenic explanations that behavioural traits and personality are due to physical/Anatomical functioning

Question 13

Moral treatment

Answer 13

Idea that the cause for mental illness could be social stress, congenital (from birth) or physical injury
Argued for less violent treatment of patients

Question 14

According to moral treatment, how can we treat disorders?

Answer 14

Do not restrain by chains, let them outside to exercise, friendly relationship to doctor, keep detailed case files on patients to monitor progress

Question 15

Moral treatment is….

Answer 15

Etiological theory, argues how care and treatment occurs
Physiogenic explanation that cause is due to past traumatic experience

Question 16

Seligman and Rosenhan’s theory on defining abnormality

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Defining abnormality as a statistical infrequency

Answer 17

Any behaviour shown less frequently than normal (rare) should be regarded as abnormal as it is not a statistical norm for that society

Question 18

Problems with defining abnormality by statistical infrequency

Answer 18

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

Question 19

Defining abnormality as a failure to function adequately

Answer 19

If someone has no ability to live a ‘normal’ life:
Holding down a job
Maintain relationship
Looking after yourself
Interacting with society

Question 20

Problems with Defining abnormality as a failure to function adequately

Answer 20

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

Question 21

Defining abnormality as a deviation from social norms

Answer 21

If someone’s behaviour deviates from the behaviour deemed normal by the society they live in

Question 22

Problems with Defining abnormality as a deviation from social norms

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Defining abnormality as deviation from ideal mental health

Answer 23

If you don’t have ideal mental health: positive self image, capable of growth and development, rational view of reality etc

Question 24

Problem with Defining abnormality as deviation from ideal mental health

Answer 24

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