Mental Illness

Question 1

Q: What are the key characteristics of abnormal functioning?

Answer 1

Deviance, distress, dysfunction, and danger.

Question 2

What does “deviance” mean in terms of abnormal functioning?

Answer 2

Deviance refers to violations of society’s ideas about normality, which are culturally based.

Question 3

How does “distress” relate to abnormal functioning?

Answer 3

Distress can be experienced by the person or their family, though everyone experiences distress to some degree.

Question 4

What does “dysfunction” mean in abnormal behavior?

Answer 4

Dysfunction refers to a distortion in perceptual or cognitive functioning.

Question 5

What does “danger” refer to in terms of abnormal behavior?

Answer 5

Danger refers to the risk of harm to oneself or others, though it’s rare for patients to pose a threat to others.

Question 6

What is an example of culturally-based abnormality mentioned in the text?

Answer 6

Dr. Samuel Cartwright’s concept of Drapetomania, the “irrational” urge to run away from slavery.

Question 7

What are early historical views on mental illness?

Answer 7

Early views involved magic, evil spirits, and demonic causes, with treatments like exorcism and trephination. (drilling hole in skull)

Question 8

How did Greek and Roman views differ from earlier models?

Answer 8

Greeks and Romans linked mental illness to brain pathology, attributing it to imbalances in bodily fluids (humours).

Question 9

What were common treatments for mental illness in ancient Greece and Rome?

Answer 9

Treatments included spas, baths, herbal treatments, and mental hospital-like care.

Question 10

How did views of mental illness change during the Middle Ages?

Answer 10

Mental illness was treated with exorcisms and harsh confinement, as hospitals and medical care became less holistic.

Question 11

What significant contributions did Johann Weyer make in mental health history?

Answer 11

Weyer was the first medical practitioner to specialize in mental illness and focused on home care and pilgrimages for treatment.

Question 12

What was Philippe Pinel’s role in the 19th century?

Answer 12

Pinel lobbied for the unchaining of patients and introduced humane changes in treatment, known as “moral treatment.” unchaning paitents

Question 13

What were some early modern treatments for mental illness?

Answer 13

Treatments like mesmerism, phrenology, coma therapy, and lobotomies were attempted, but not all were effective.

Question 14

What is Freud’s psychoanalytic model based on? and his defence mechanisms

Answer 14

Freud’s model includes the id (primitive desires), ego (rationalization), and superego (judgment), along with defense mechanisms like denial, repression, and rationalization.

Defense mechanisms include
denial = Denial is the motivated forgetting of distressing experiences, such as refusing to acknowledge the death of a pet.
regression = Regression refers to returning psychologically to an earlier, safer stage of life, such as a student sucking their thumb during a stressful exam.
rationalization
Rationalization: Providing reasonable-sounding explanations for unreasonable behaviors.
Identification with the aggressor: Adopting the traits of people we find threatening.
Repression: Motivated forgetting of emotionally threatening memories or impulses.

Question 15

What is the Rorschach Inkblot test?

Answer 15

A test where participants interpret 10 symmetrical inkblots to reveal aspects of their personality, used by psychologists to understand their perceptions.

Question 16

How does the Humanistic-Existential model view abnormality? and dysfuntion and focus in therapy

Answer 16

It sees dysfunction as caused by self-deception and avoiding life’s responsibilities, with therapy focusing on reaching self-actualization.

Dysfunction is caused by self-deception and avoiding responsibilities, which leads to feelings of anxiety, frustration, alienation, and depression.

• It focuses on helping individuals realize their innate goodness and potential, aiming for self-actualization.

Question 17

What is the Behavioral model’s view on abnormal behavior?

Answer 17

The Behavioral model assumes that abnormal behavior is learned through classical conditioning (temporal association) and operant conditioning (reinforcement and punishment).

Question 18

What is the Cognitive model of abnormal behavior based on?

Answer 18

Aaron Beck’s Cognitive model centers on mental processes like perception, reasoning, and judgment, suggesting that maladaptive thoughts lead to negative behaviors and emotions.

Question 19

What does the Biological Paradigm propose about psychopathology?

Answer 19

It suggests that psychopathology is caused by organic defects, such as genetic and biochemical inbalences in the nervous system.

e.g., GABA, dopmaine neurotransmitters low = mental illness so drugs increase the amount so they can pass synaps

Question 20

What is “Dysesthesia Aethiopia” according to Dr. Samuel Cartwright?

Answer 20

Dysesthesia Aethiopia referred to behaviors like destroying property, disobedience, and refusing to comply with work demands, seen as signs of mental illness in slaves.

Question 21

When was homosexuality considered a mental disorder, and by whom?

Answer 21

Homosexuality was regarded as a mental disorder until the 1970s, as part of cultural views of abnormality.

Question 22

What is the Animistic model of mental illness?

Answer 22

he Animistic model believed that mental illness was caused by animal spirits.

Question 23

What did the Mythological model propose about mental illness?

Answer 23

The Mythological model suggested that animal spirits evolved into myths and deities, which were thought to explain symptoms and cure them.

Question 24

What is the Demonological model of mental illness?

Answer 24

The Demonological model posited that mental illness was caused by a battle between good (creative) and evil (destructive) demons.

Question 25

What were asylums like during the Renaissance?

Answer 25

Asylums were often filthy and degrading in their treatment of patients, though some were converted from hospitals and monasteries. - Bedlam in England was infamous for its deplorable conditions and inhumane treatment of mental patients.

Question 26

What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) based on?

Answer 26

CBT is based on the Cognitive model, which focuses on changing maladaptive thinking patterns to improve emotions and behavior.

Question 27

How do genetics influence the development of disorders and personality traits?

Answer 27

Genes may predispose individuals to seek out situations that increase the likelihood of developing a disorder. For example, adolescent girls with a genetic vulnerability to depression are more likely to experience triggering events. Genes can also be turned on and off by factors like stress or high blood pressure, influencing personality and behavior.

Question 28

What is the Human Genome Program, and what do twin studies reveal about genetic identicality?

Answer 28

The Human Genome Program explores gene therapy, aiming to replace or modify certain genes to treat disorders. Twin studies show that genetically identical twins can have different personalities, suggesting that the activation or deactivation of certain genes influences these differences.

Question 29

What is the Diathesis-Stress Model?

Answer 29

The Diathesis-Stress Model suggests that mental disorders develop due to a combination of genetic predisposition (diathesis) and environmental stressors. Individuals with a genetic vulnerability are more likely to develop a disorder when exposed to stressful life events. Diathesis (predispostion/ inherited) --> stress (envro/ truma. family) --> disorder

Question 30

What is the Biopsychosocial Model, and what are examples for each section?

Answer 30

The Biopsychosocial Model suggests that mental health is influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors. Biological: Genetic predispositions, brain chemistry, or hormonal imbalances. Psychological: Thought patterns, emotional responses, or coping mechanisms. Social: Environmental factors such as family dynamics, cultural influences, or life stressors.

Question 31

What is the purpose of models in understanding abnormal behaviour?

Answer 31

Models in abnormal behaviour provide patterns or prototypes to understand complex relationships. They describe processes we cannot directly observe and make an aetiological assumption, which leads to differential interpretations of data and further assumptions as the model develops.

Question 32

What is the Medical Model in understanding abnormal behaviour?

Answer 32

The Medical Model views abnormal behaviour as a mental illness or disease. It suggests that such behaviours are caused by biological factors, such as genetics, brain chemistry, or physical abnormalities, and can be treated with medication, therapy, or medical interventions.

Question 33

How does Darwin's evolutionary model explain abnormal behaviour, considering primary and secondary factors?

Answer 33

Darwin's evolutionary model posits that abnormal behaviour may arise from traits that were once advantageous for survival but have become maladaptive in modern contexts. Primary factors refer to genetic predispositions and evolved psychological mechanisms that originally served adaptive functions. Secondary factors involve environmental changes and social influences that disrupt the expression of these evolved traits, potentially leading to maladaptive behaviours. This framework emphasizes the interplay between our evolutionary heritage and contemporary environmental challenges in shaping behaviour.

Question 34

What is the pedigree method, and what are the issues associated with it?

Answer 34

The pedigree method involves tracing the incidence of traits or phenotypes in family members across multiple generations to make inferences about the genotype and underlying genetic principles. Issues: It often ignores external factors that may influence traits. Correlations found may not always imply causation, leading to potential misinterpretations.

Question 35

What is the Biomedical Model, and how does it explain mental illness?

Answer 35

The Biomedical Model suggests that if physical diseases can be caused by germs and toxins, similar factors could cause mental disorders. For example, the role of neurotransmitters in the central nervous system is crucial for communication between neurons. An imbalance in chemicals like dopamine and serotonin can disrupt this communication, leading to changes in behaviour. The biochemical model focuses on imbalance of monoamines (e.g., norepinephrine and dopamine) as a key factor in disorders.

Question 36

What is the Neurotheological Model, and how does it explain abnormal behaviour?

Answer 36

The Neurotheological Model suggests that abnormal behaviour originates in brain structures that are inherited, congenital, or acquired. Electrical stimulation of the brain has been used both as a therapeutic tool and for research to study brain function and its connection to abnormal behaviours. It is especially used to study conditions like seizures and epilepsy. EEG (electroencephalography) is commonly used to measure brain activity in these studies.

Question 37

What are the key concepts of Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytic Model in understanding abnormal behaviour?

Answer 37

Psychic Determinism & Unconscious: Behaviour is determined by the unconscious mind, which holds repressed memories. Repression: Unpleasant feelings are pushed out of consciousness to protect the individual. Ego vs. Id: Abnormal behaviour arises when the ego fails to balance the id’s instinctual impulses, leading to neurosis or psychosis. Neurosis: Caused by the ego repressing an instinct, which then expresses itself in a substitute form (symptom).

Question 38

What are Carl Jung's and Alfred Adler's views on abnormal behaviour?

Answer 38

Carl Jung: Abnormal behaviour arises from the inability to integrate the personality. He introduced the collective unconscious, a storehouse of shared memories and instincts that are universal across cultures. Alfred Adler: Stressed social and environmental factors in shaping behaviour. Abnormal behaviour is linked to inferiority feelings (inferiority complex) stemming from failure to achieve self-fulfilment and self-actualization.

Question 39

What do sociocultural models emphasize in understanding human behaviour? and How do sociocultural models use data to study human behaviour?

Answer 39

Sociocultural models emphasize the role of culture and social systems in shaping human behaviour. They focus on variables like family, race, socioeconomic status, and religious affiliation, studying how these factors influence personality development. Sociocultural models often rely on correlational data to infer how global factors like culture, social norms, and community settings influence individual behaviour and personality.

Question 40

what is anomie and how is it manifested

Answer 40

Anomie refers to the breakdown of societal norms, where the standards for behaviour are no longer effective. It occurs when norms are not shared, sanctions are weak, or there is a lack of moral obligation to conform, especially during times of social change. Anomie is manifest during social disorganization and change, when people have limited access to valued goals, such as in the struggles of the poor to acquire wealth. It reflects a society where norms are unclear or no longer enforced. not meeting expectaions, doubt, anger, social exlusion -- mental illness

Question 41

What does the learning approach suggest about abnormal behaviour?

Answer 41

The learning approach views both normal and abnormal behaviours as learned and changeable through the application of learning principles. Abnormal behaviours are seen as maladaptive responses that can be eliminated or replaced with more adaptive behaviours, without assuming an underlying disease process. (e.g., taught fear of spiders)

Question 42

How does Julian Rotter explain the persistence of abnormal behaviours?

Answer 42

Julian Rotter argues that abnormal behaviours are learned and maintained because individuals expect these behaviours to lead to reinforcement or help avoid punishment, making them more likely to persist.

Question 43

How does Bandura's social-learning theory explain abnormal behaviour?

Answer 43

Bandura's social-learning theory suggests that abnormal behaviours are learned and maintained through instrumental conditioning and imitation. A flawed conditioning process leads to the development of maladaptive behaviour patterns.

Question 44

What role do faulty incentive systems play in abnormal behaviour, according to Bandura?

Answer 44

Bandura explains that faulty prior learning of defective incentive systems—such as finding pleasure in unacceptable stimuli like drugs or alcohol—can reinforce abnormal behaviours, making them more likely to persist.

Question 45

What do humanistic models focus on in understanding abnormal behaviour?

Answer 45

Humanistic models blend sociocultural and learning theories with existential elements. They emphasize the individual's experience and reaction to both the self and the external world as key determinants of behaviour.

Question 46

What does Maslow say about human nature and self-actualization?

Answer 46

Maslow believed that inner nature is fragile and can be suppressed by habit and external forces, but it persistently strives for survival first and then self-actualization (self-fulfilment).

Question 47

Maslow believed that inner nature is fragile and can be suppressed by habit and external forces, but it persistently strives for survival first and then self-actualization (self-fulfilment).

Answer 47

Maslow suggested that a child can only explore the environment when the mother-child relationship is secure. If the relationship is impaired, the child will cling to the mother and struggle to engage with the environment.

Question 48

What did Rogers believe about self-actualization and the need for positive regard?

Answer 48

Rogers believed that everyone is born with inherent potential. The child develops a sense of self through positive regard from others. This leads to the development of positive self-regard, essential for self-actualization.

Question 49

What does Rogers say about the existential struggle for meaning in life?

Answer 49

Rogers believed that individuals must discover who they are and the purpose of life, which often leads to angst (dread or anxiety) over nonbeing. This angst serves as a basic source of motivation in human existence.