psychological disorders and treatments

Question 1

psychological disorders

Answer 1

is a condition characterized by abnormal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, The simplest approach to conceptualizing psychological disorders is to label behaviors, thoughts, and inner experiences that are atypical, distressful, dysfunctional, and sometimes even dangerous, as signs of a disorder.

Question 2

psychopathology

Answer 2

the study of psychological disorders, including their symptoms, etiology (i.e., their causes), and treatment

Question 3

abnormality

Answer 3

1. Violation of social norms:
   -Each society has its definition of right and wrong.
   -When an individual does not behave according to those social norms
   (what is normal in one society/time can be abnormal in another

2.Personal discomfort: behaviour causes distress to the person responsible.

3. Maladaptive behaviour: significant impairment in one or more areas is life (ex. Social, work, school, etc).
4. Statistical rarity (anything uncommon): Abnormality is any substantial deviance from a statistical average ex. 6 feet 8 woman, IQ: 140 (genius), 160 (gifted)

Question 4

cultural expectations

Answer 4

Violating cultural expectations is not enough by itself to identify a psychological disorder.
Social norms vary between cultures - what is considered appropriate in one culture may be viewed differently in another.

Question 5

harmful dysfunction

Answer 5

Proposed a more influential concept in which he defines psychological disorders as a harmful dysfunction.
Dysfunction occurs when an internal mechanism (e.g., cognition, perception, learning) breaks down and cannot perform its normal function.
For a dysfunction to be classed as a disorder, it must also be harmful – leads to negative consequences for the individual or for others, as judged by the standards of the individual’s culture

Question 6

American psychological association definition of psychological disorder

Answer 6

A psychological disorder is a condition that consists of the following:
Significant disturbances in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Outside of cultural norms.
The disturbances reflect some kind of biological, psychological, or developmental dysfunction.
The disturbances lead to significant distress or disability in one’s life.
E.g. difficulty performing appropriate and expected roles.

Despite the many existing definitions, there is no universal agreement on where the boundary between disordered and not disordered is.

Question 7

DSM

Answer 7

American Psychiatric Association’s guide for diagnosing mental disorders.
Provides a list of symptoms and if a critical threshold is reached person classified as having a syndrome.

Question 8

Why poeple created DSM ?

Answer 8

Although consensus can be difficult, it is extremely important for mental health professionals to agree on what kinds of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are truly abnormal in the sense that they genuinely indicate the presence of psychopathology.

Question 9

Diagnosis

Answer 9

appropriately identifying and labeling a set of defined symptoms

Question 10

categorizes and describes each disorder

Answer 10

Diagnostic features – overview of the disorder.
Diagnostic criteria – specific symptoms required for diagnosis.
Prevalence – percent of population thought to be afflicted, how common is this disease? (see next slide)
Risk factors.

Question 11

prognosis

Answer 11

medical expert’s judgement of the likely or expected development of a disease or the chances of getting better

Question 12

comorbidity

Answer 12

the co-occurence of two disorders, Obsessive-compulsive disorder and major depressive disorder frequently occur in the same person.

Question 13

exorcism

Answer 13

– involving incantations and prayers said over the individual’s body by a priest/religious figure.

Question 14

trephining

Answer 14

– a hole was made in the skull to release spirits from the body. This often lead to death.

Question 15

execution or imprisonement

Answer 15

many mentally ill people were burnt at the stake after being accused of witchcraft.

Question 16

18th

Answer 16

people exhibiting unusual behavior began to be institutionalized.

Question 17

asylums

Answer 17

the first institutions created for the specific purpose of housing people with psychological disorders.

Question 18

Philippe pinel

Answer 18

french physician, argued for more humane treatment of the mentally ill, suggested that they be unchained and talked to, patients and benefited and many were able to be released from hospital

Question 19

Dorothea dix

Answer 19

social reformer, investigate the state of care for the mentally ill and poor, Discovered an underfunded and unregulated system that perpetuated abuse of the mentally ill.

Question 20

deinstitutionalization

Answer 20

the closing of large asylums, by providing for people to stay in their communities and be treated locally.

Question 21

treatments in america asylums

Answer 21

cold baths, electroschock treatment

Question 22

results of desinstitutionalization

Answer 22

Patients were released but the new system was not set up effectively.
Centers were underfunded, staff untrained to handle severe mental illnesses.
Lead to an increase in homelessness.

Question 23

1954

Answer 23

antipsychotic medications were introduced.
Proved successful in treating symptoms of psychosis.
Psychosis was a common diagnosis, evidenced by symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions, indicating a loss of contact with reality.

Question 24

1975

Answer 24

Mental Retardation Facilities & Community Mental Health Centers Construction Act (USA)
Provided federal support and funding for community mental health centers.
Started the process of deinstitutionalization (1960’s to 1970’s in Canada).

Question 25

asylums today

Answer 25

have since been replaced with psychiatric hospitals and local community hospitals focused on short-term care.

Question 26

why does treatment emphasize on short term stays ?

Answer 26

High costs of psychiatric hospitalization - Insurance coverage often limits length of time individuals can be hospitalized. (in US).
Individuals are usually only hospitalized if they are an imminent threat to themselves or others.

Question 27

invulontary treatment

Answer 27

therapy that is not the individuals choice.
E.g. weekly counseling sessions might be a condition of parole

Question 28

voluntary treatment

Answer 28

the person chooses to attend therapy to obtain relief from symptoms.

Question 29

sources of psychological treatment

Answer 29

– community mental health centers, private or community practitioners, school counselors, school psychologists or school social workers, group therapy.
Treatment providers include psychologists, psychiatrists, clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists.

Question 30

psychodynamic psychotherapy

Answer 30

talk theraphy absed on belief taht the unconscious and chilhood conflicts impact behavior

Question 31

play therapy

Answer 31

psychoanalytical therapy wherein interaction with toys is used instead of talk, used in child therapy

Question 32

behavior therapy

Answer 32

principles of learning applied to change undesirable behaviors

Question 33

cognitive therapy

Answer 33

awarness of cognitive process helps patients eliminate thought patterns that lead to distress, Based on the idea that how you think determines how you feel and act - cognitive therapy focuses on how thoughts lead to feelings of distress.
Emotional reactions are the result of your thoughts about the situation rather than the situation itself.
Encourages clients to find more logical ways of interpreting situations and positive ways of thinking.

Question 34

cognitive behavioral therapy

Answer 34

work to change cognitive disortions and self-defeating behaviors

Question 35

humanistic therapy

Answer 35

increase self-awarness and acceptance through focus on conscious thoughts

Question 36

techniques of psychoanalysis therapy

Answer 36

Free association – patient relaxes and then says whatever comes to mind at the moment. Freud theorized that the ego would try to block unacceptable urges or painful conflicts during free association causing the patient to demonstrate resistance.
Dream analysis – therapist interprets the underlying meaning of dreams.
Transference – patient transfers all the positive or negative emotions associated with their other relationships to the psychoanalyst.

Question 37

techniques of play therapy

Answer 37

Toys, such as dolls, stuffed animals, and sandbox figurines are used to help children play out their hopes, fantasies and traumas.
Sandplay or sandtray therapy - children can set up a three dimensional world using various figures and objects that correspond to their inner state (Kalff, 1991)

Question 38

nondirective play therapy

Answer 38

children are encouraged to work through problems by playing freely while therapist observes

Question 39

directive play therapy

Answer 39

therapist provides structure/guidance by suggesting topics, asking questions, and playing with the child.

Question 40

techniques for behavior therapy

Answer 40

Classical Conditioning: Conditioning principles are applied to recondition clients and change their behavior.

Counterconditioning - Client learns a new response to a stimulus that has previously elicited an undesirable behavior. Includes aversive conditioning and exposure therapy.

Question 41

aversive conditiong

Answer 41

uses an unpleasant stimulus to stop an undesirable behavior.
Used to eliminate addictive behaviors.
Client is repeatedly exposed to something unpleasant, such as a mild electric shock or bad taste while they engage in a specific behavior → client learns to associate the unpleasant stimulus and unwanted behavior.

Question 42

antabuse

Answer 42

(substance that causes negative side effects such as vomiting when combined with alcohol) has been used effectively to treat alcoholism.

Question 43

exposure theraphy

Answer 43

seeks to change the response to a conditioned stimulus.
Used to treat fears or anxiety.
Client is repeatedly exposed to the object/situation that causes their problem, with the idea that they will eventually get used to it.

Question 44

systematic desensitization

Answer 44

type of exposure therapy therapy wherein a calm and pleasant state is gradually associated with increasing levels of anxiety-inducing stimuli.

Question 45

exposure therapy

Answer 45

1) Fear and relaxation are incompatible – if client can relax around fear-inducing stimuli, the unwanted fear response will eventually be eliminated.
2) Client is taught progressive relaxation – how to relax each muscle group to achieve a relaxed and comfortable state of mind.
3) Progressive relaxation is used while client imagines anxiety-inducing situations.
4) Overtime, progressive relaxation helps the client become desensitized to the anxiety inducing stimuli

Question 46

virtual reality exposure therapy

Answer 46

uses a stimulation to help conquer fears when it’s too impractical, expensive or embarrassing to recreate anxiety-inducing situations

Question 47

aims of cognitive therapy

Answer 47

Cognitive therapists help clients become aware of their cognitive distortions (thinking errors).
Examples:
Overgeneralizing – taking a small situation and making it huge.
Polarized (“black & white”) thinking – Seeing things in absolutes, ”I am either perfect, or a failure”. (Common in depression).
Jumping to conclusions – assuming that people are thinking negatively about you or reacting negatively to you, without evidence.

Clients are helped to change dysfunctional thinking patterns by challenging irrational beliefs, focusing on their illogical basis, and correcting them with more logical and rational thoughts/beliefs.

Question 48

Cognitive behavioral therapy informations

Answer 48

Unlike other forms of psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy focuses more on present issues rather than on a patient’s past.
Rational-Emotive Therapy (RET) - one of the first forms of cognitive-behavioral therapy, founded by Albert Ellis.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) – works to change cognitive distortions and self-defeating behaviors. (Aims to change both how people think and how they act).
Helps clients examine how their thoughts affect their behavior.
Combination of cognitive therapy (making individuals aware of irrational, negative thoughts and replacing them with positive ways of thinking) and behavior therapies (teaches people to to practice and engage in more positive, healthy approaches to situations).
Uses the ABC model to reveal cognitive distortions (e.g., overgeneralizing, black and white thinking, jumping to conclusions).
Action – activating event.
Belief about the event.
Consequences of the belief (on thoughts, mood and effects on behaviour).

Question 49

techniques of humanistic therapy

Answer 49

Active listening – therapist acknowledges, restates, and clarifies what the client expresses.
Unconditional positive regard – therapist does not judge clients and simply accepts them for who they are.
Genuineness, empathy, and acceptance towards clients – Rogers felt that therapists should demonstrate these because it helps the client become more accepting of themselves, which results in personal growth.

Question 50

Biomedical therapies

Answer 50

Once an individual seeks treatment, therapists will arrange an intake, an initial meeting to assess the clients clinical needs.
1. Therapist gathers specific information to address client’s immediate needs.
Presenting problem, the client’s support system, insurance status.
2. Therapist informs client about confidentiality, fees, and what to expect in treatment.
Confidentiality – the therapist cannot disclose confidential communications to any third party unless mandated or permitted to do so by law.
3. Treatment goals are discussed and a treatment plan is formed.

Question 51

psychotropic medications

Answer 51

medications used to treat psychological disorders.

Question 52

indiviual therapy

Answer 52

In an individual therapy session, a client works one-on-one with a trained therapist.
Usually lasts 45 minutes – 1 hour and meetings occur in a confidential environment.
Clients might explore feelings, work through life challenges, identify aspects of themselves and their lives that they wish to change, and set goals to work towards these changes.

Question 53

treament modalities

Answer 53

individual, group, family, couples

Question 54

group therapy

Answer 54

In group therapy, several clients meet with a trained therapist to discuss a common issue such as divorce, grief, an eating disorder, substance abuse, or anger management. Can help decrease shame and isolation.
Clients may have concerns about confidentiality or feel uncomfortable sharing problems with strangers.
Psycho-educational groups – groups with a strong educational component. E.g., group for children whose parents have cancer which teaches them about cancer.

Question 55

family therapy

Answer 55

Aims to enhance growth of each family member as well as that of the family as a whole.
Use the systems approach – family is viewed as an organized system, and each individual is a contributing member who creates and maintains processes within the system that shape behavior. Each member influences and is influenced by the others.
One member usually has a problem that effects everyone (e.g., alcohol dependence) and the therapist helps them to cope with the issue.
Structural family therapy – examines and discusses the boundaries and structure of the family. Therapist helps them resolve issues and learn to communicate effectively.
Strategic family therapy – aims to address specific problems within the family that can be dealt with in a short amount of time.

Question 56

couples therapy

Answer 56

Therapist helps people work on difficulties in their relationship - aims to help them resolve problems and implement strategies that will lead to a healthier and happier relationship.
E.g. how to listen, how to argue, and how to express feelings.
Primarily uses cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Question 57

relapse

Answer 57

individual returns to abusing a substance after a period of improvement.

Question 58

comorbid disorders

Answer 58

Individuals addicted to drugs and/or alcohol frequently have an additional psychological disorder.
Substance abusers are twice as likely to have a mood or anxiety disorder.
People with psychiatric disorders may self-medicate and abuse substances.
Categorized as mentally ill and chemically addicted (MICA).
Problems are often chronic and treatment has limited success.

Question 59

the sociocultural model

Answer 59

This perspective looks at you, your behaviors, and symptoms in the context of your culture and background.

Question 60

cultural competence

Answer 60

– mental health professionals must understand and address issues of race, culture, and ethnicity and use strategies to effectively address needs of various populations.

Question 61

multicultural couseling and therapy

Answer 61

Integrates the impact of cultural and social norms.
Aims to work with clients and define goals consistent with their life experiences and cultural values.
Strives to recognize client identities to include individual, group, and universal dimensions.
Advocates the use of universal and culture-specific strategies and roles in the healing process.
Balances the importance of individualism and collectivism in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of clients.

Question 62

substance related treatment

Answer 62

Goal is to help an addicted person stop compulsive drug-seeking behaviors.
Requires long-term treatment. However:
More cost-effective than incarceration or not treating those with addiction - Substance use and abuse costs the United States over $600 billion a year (NIDA, 2012).

Behavior therapy - can help motivate the addict to participate in the treatment program and teach strategies for dealing with cravings and how to prevent relapse.

Medication uses:
To detox the addict safely after an overdose.
To prevent seizures and agitation that often occur in detox.
To prevent reuse of the drug.
To manage withdrawal symptoms.

Question 63

what makes treatment for substance related issues effective

Answer 63

Duration of treatment - At least 3 months is usually needed to achieve a positive outcome.

Holistic treatment – addresses multiple needs, not just the drug addiction, due to psychological, physiological, behavioral, and social aspect of abuse.
Addresses stress management, communication, relationship issues, parenting, vocational concerns, and legal concerns.

Group therapy – addicts are more likely to maintain sobriety in a group format due to the rewarding and therapeutic benefits of the group such as support, affiliation, identification, and even confrontation.

Parental involvement – correlated with greater reduction in use by teen substance abusers.