Psychological problems Flashcards
Mental Heath
the state of mental well-being
Physical Health
refers to how well your body functions
Jahoda’s ‘‘Ideal’’ MH
- Having high self esteem
- Personal Growth and Self-actualisation
- Integration
- Autonomy
- Accurate perception of reality
- Mastery of Environment
Mental Heath Continuum
A way of defining MH by looking at it on a scale
Prevalence
How common something is (in this case MH problems)
Who are at risk of experiencing MH Problems
- LGBT community are at more risk of experiencing MH problems
Incidence of MH
Measures the number of NEW CASES of MH problems occurring in a time period
Why is it hard to track the incidence of MH problems?
- Not all MH problems are recorded/diagnosed
- Symptoms for the particular MH problems may change over time
- Rely on SELF REPORTS which is not accurate due to the persons memory and honesty
Changes in Attitudes to MH (Time Line)
The Mental Heath Act 1959 - Changed attitudes towards MH, first time the term ‘mental disorder’ was used. Treated the same as physical illnesses and council were responsible for social care
1960s - Media broke the ‘taboo of silence’ around MH problems and more debates about MH. Szasz (1961) published a book saying MH was not real and patients are responsible for their actions
1970s - The charity Mind campaigned vigorously for the rights of people with MH problems. They argued that they were detained and treated against their will
1980s - Rise in community care for people with MH problems. Not well funded and led to violent acts. Media coverage fuelled negative attitudes towards people with MH problems
1992, 1993 and 1998 - World Mental Heath Day launched in 1992, MH survey conducted in 1993 and the Royal College of Psychiatrists launched in 1998
2011 - The most recent data shows that since the beginning of the current TIME to CHANGE programme, an estimated 2 million have changed their attitudes
2012-2013 - 2.8 percent improvement in attitudes towards MH
Stigma
A strong sense of disapproval
The effect of Stigma before DIAGNOSIS
Individuals who are constantly stigmatised by being labelled as ‘crazy’ and ‘weird’ may be at risk of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy
The effect of Stigma after DIAGNOSIS
Stigma attached to a MH problem is triggered when someone see’s or hears something which they consider to be abnormal. They may be labelled as ‘weird’ before diagnosis.
Discrimination
To treat people differently based on a perceived issue or problems
The effect of Discrimination before DIAGNOSIS
Leads to symptoms getting worse because people in the society are rejecting him/her for perceived issue
The effect of Discrimination after DIAGNOSIS
Leads to effect on their overall self-esteem. This will effect someones physical and mental health in the long run
MH Problems effect on public services
One way of dealing with the increase in MH problems is the ‘care in community’’. Which means they are administered care outside of hospitals and in their homes. Critics say its a money saver. Supporters say its good for people with MH Problems as it can get them used to their environment and still work at the same time.
MH Problems effect on the Law
Equality Act 2010 protects disabled people from unfair treatment. People with MH Problems have to get the right employer to make reasonable adjustments to enable them to still work
MH Problems effect on Society
The rise in prevalence means that MH problems are more common and people now want to interact with these people as its more common - but it can still lead to conflict. Society has responded to stigmatisation of MH Problems by spreading awareness
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia comes from the Latin ‘split mind’. Its a disorder where people lose touch with reality
How is SZ diagnosed?
SZ is diagnosed by using the ICD X
Key Statistics of Schizophrenia
- 1% of the population are born with it
- SZ effects both men and women
- Asian people have lower rates of SZ. British people of Caribbean and African are more likely to be diagnosed than white people
- Adult disorder
- 25% of people fully recover from SZ
Psychological Theory of SZ - Social Drift Theory
People develop SZ and lose touch with reality and opt out of society because it does not make sense to them -> Not interested in ‘‘normal’’ activities such as getting a job etc -> People may find it hard to get employed because of the stigma and discrimination towards their label -> Disengagement because they don’t feel part of society -> Rejection from society
Criticisms of Social Drift Theory
- Problems establishing cause and effect
- May be a bias in diagnosis
- Focuses too much on society
- Ignores the role of nature
Biological Theory of SZ - Dopamine Hypothesis + Brain Dysfunction
Dopamine Hypothesis:
- Too much dopamine can lead to people hallucinating or having delusions
- Dopamine that is transmitted too often can lead to symptoms of SZ
- People with SZ have a high number of D2 receptors resulting in more dopamine binding to receptors
Brain Dysfunction:
- Blood flow is lower in the frontal cortex
- Defective prefrontal cortex
- Reduced volume in hippocampus