Psychological Problems

Question 1

Define ‘Mental Health’

Answer 1

• The condition of being mentally & emotionally sound and not having a mental disorder.
• Individuals with mental health feel comfortable, have positive feelings about others and are able to meet the demands of life.

Question 2

What are the characteristics of a mental health problem?

Answer 2

• Struggling to socialise
• Struggling to concentrate
• Problems sleeping

Question 3

Why is modern life more challenging?

Answer 3

Modern life is more difficult because it’s harder to escape poverty, and social isolation is more prominent

Question 4

How has social stigma around mental health changed?

Answer 4

• Previously, people with mental health problems were called ‘lunatics’ and ‘insane’.
• This is harmful because it leads other people to think negatively about people.

Question 5

How does mental illness damage relationships?

Answer 5

• MH problems affect the ability to talk to others, which affects relationships because communication is important.
• MH problems are isolating as people avoid being with others as they feel bad about themselves and fear judgement.

Question 6

How does mental illness affect crime rates?

Answer 6

There is an increased risk of violence in people with MH problems

Question 7

What implications do MH problems have for the economy?

Answer 7

Mental health care costs up to 22 billion pounds a year. Cheaper drug treatments should be researched more.

Question 8

Define unipolar depression:

Answer 8

The individual experiences one emotional state (depression).

Question 9

Define Bipolar depression:

Answer 9

The individual experiences 2 emotional states:

1. Depression
2. Mania (frenzied activity, extremely excited)

Question 10

Outline the symptoms of depression:

Answer 10

• Low mood
• Loss of interest/pleasure
• Reduced energy levels
• Reduced sleep
• Changes in appetite
• Decrease in self-confidence

Question 11

Outline the biological explanation for the causes of depression:

Answer 11

People with depression have low serotonin levels. Serotonin is responsible for improving mood, helping us sleep and pay attention.

Question 12

Evaluate the biological causes for depression

Answer 12

+ Supported by research

• We don’t know whether low serotonin causes depression or whether having depression causes low serotonin
• Ignores other factors such as the environment or traumatic experiences

Question 13

Outline the psychological explanation of the causes of depression:

Answer 13

1. Faulty thinking - they only see the negatives of a situation, creating the feeling of hopelessness
2. Negative schema - They have a negative mental framework about themselves
3. Attributions - when something goes wrong for a depressed person, they experience internal attribution, trying to explain their behaviour as ‘stupid’ or ‘worthless’

Question 14

Evaluate the psychological causes of depression:

Answer 14

+ Real-life application. We can use therapy to change the way people think, which can help depressed people

• Doesn’t explain all types of depression: not everyone with depression has a faulty thinking style
• Ignores other potential causes of depression, e.g low serotonin levels

Question 15

Define Aversion Therapy

Answer 15

A patient is exposed to their addictive substances while being exposed to discomfort. The patient starts to associate the substance with discomfort, and therefore stops using it.

Question 16

How are alcoholics treated with aversion therapy?

Answer 16

• The individual is given a drug that causes them to feel extremely sick and eventually vomit.
• Just before they vomit, they drink some alcohol.
• Eventually, the patient will learn to associate being sick with alcohol and this will put the individual off drinking alcohol in the future.

Question 17

How are gamblers treated with aversion therapy?

Answer 17

• The individual writes down some phrases that relate to gambling behaviour (i.e. “I feel good when I win money”) and some about non-gambling behaviour (i.e. “My favourite food is chocolate”).
• The individual then shuffles the cards and when they read one related to gambling, they get an electric shock.
• Eventually, the gambling behaviours are associated with the electric shock so they are put off gambling in the future.

Question 18

How are smokers treated with aversion therapy?

Answer 18

• The individual sits in a room and rapidly smokes (smokes a large amount of cigarettes one after another).
• This creates feelings of disgust and sickness.
• The individual then associates the feelings of disgust and sickness with cigarettes so they are put off in the future.

Question 19

Evaluate aversion therapy

Answer 19

• Short-term solution. Research shows that addicts revert back to their own ways
• Might only work for some people. It isn’t suitable for everyone; people might drop out because of the unpleasant experiences
  + Can be considered a holistic approach when combined with CBT. Aversion therapy deals with the addictive behaviour while CBT deals with the thoughts surrounding the addiction = long-term.

Question 20

What is a self-management programme?

Answer 20

When someone with a mental health problem (i.e. addiction) works on their recovery without the assistance of a professional.

Question 21

What are the 3 basics of self-management?

Answer 21

1. Addicts surrender their control to a ‘higher power’
2. They ADMIT that they have made mistakes. They SHARE GUILT with a group, and ACCEPT the consequences
3. It’s a life-long process. Members have a book with names and numbers of people they can call if they need

Question 22

Evaluate the 12-step program:

Answer 22

+ It’s a lifelong process. It is a long-term solution

• Lack of research; no evidence of its effectiveness compared to other treatments
• Might only work for some people. High demands = people are likely to give up and drop out