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
Criticisms of the Biological Theory of SZ
- Ignores the effect of nurture
- Too deterministic, people have a choice to control their symptoms
- Too reductionist, hard to look at the whole brain
- Brain Dysfunction may be an effect of SZ
Research Study: DANIEL ET AL
Aim - To see whether amphetamines affect PFC and WCST performance
Sample - 10 Chronic SZ people
Research Method - Lab Exp (Double blind trial), RMD
Procedure:
- P’s receive the same dose of drug
- Completed Card Sort Test and Bar Task whilst having a SPECT SCAN
Repeated this 2-4 days after (DOUBLE BLIND)
Findings/Conclusions:
- No difference in BAR TASK
- Small differences between amphetamines and placebo in the WCST
- Amphetamines are shown to increase the ability of the prefrontal cortex to focus in the WCST
Criticisms of DANIEL ET AL
- Too small sample - Hard to draw conclusions
- Culturally Biased - Small area in the USA only white people
- Ethical Issues when studying the brain
- EV
- Lacks TEMPORAL VALIDITY - Results may have been outdated
Depression
A loss of interest and enjoyment in everyday life, with increased tiredness and reduced activity
Symptoms of Depression
- Low Mood
- Low SE
- Suicidal
- Lack of motivation
- Feeling hopeless
Psychological Theory of Depression - ABC Model
A = Activating Event
B = Beliefs
C = Consequences
Activating Event:
- Situation which triggers an individual to have an irrational thought
Beliefs:
- How an event is interpreted by a person
- If its interpretated irrationally, you may assume you have done something wrong
- If its interpreted rationally, you may assume they have not done it on purpose
Consequences:
- The consequences of the beliefs can be what you do or how you feel or any other thoughts you have about that situation
Ellis said if you react to the AE in an irrational way, you may feel:
- upset/worried
- lonely
All of these feeling could lead to depression
Criticisms of the ABC Model
- Too reductionist - It focuses on faulty brain processes
- Ellis model supports free-will, this assumes that the person is in control of their illness
- Hard to conclude cause and effect
- The model assumes that an individual becomes depressed from an irrational evaluation but some may deem it to be a rational evaluation
Biological Theory of Depression - Social Rank Theory
- We behave in a certain way for survival reasons
- When we lose a level of status we can lose confidence in our abilities (depressed state)
- If we try and regain our rank we may suffer further losses which would be detrimental for our survival (rejected)
- Depression allows us to accept our role
Criticisms of the Social Rank Theory
- Reductionist as it only looks at depression as a process of evolution
- Theory suggests that depression is for the ‘‘losers’’ and people of low social rank, but the SRT does not support it
- Does not look at the role of nature in the SRT
Research Study: TANDOC ET AL
Aim - To see whether Facebook use predicted depression
Sample - 854 journalism students from a US uni, 68% female
Research Method - Questionnaire
Procedure:
Completed Questionnaire:
1. Facebook usage and surveillance
2. Envy Scale
3. Depression Symptoms
Findings/Conclusions:
- Heavy Facebook users = stronger feelings of envy
- Size of Facebook friends did not relate to envy
- Facebook envy was a predictor of depression
- Envy can lead to depression
Criticisms of TANDOC ET AL
- Culturally Bias - University in US
- Age Bias - College aged
- P’s may have given socially desirable results on the questionnaire
- Lacks construct validity as a complex thing was measured by rating scales
Use of Drugs to treat SZ + Depression
SZ:
- Anti-psychotic drugs act by blocking some of the D2 Receptors
- By reducing the amount of dopamine, it reduces the effect of psychotic episode
Depression:
- Anti-depressants drugs increase the number of neurotransmitters in the brain SERATONIN/NORADRENALIN
- Excess SERATONIN helps neurons communicate better, which helps people feel less depressed
Psychotherapy
CBT - Aims to change how the individual thinks and behaves - to confront the irrational thoughts and how they impact on an individual
Ellis and his ABC model he added D = Disputing the persons irrational beliefs and E = Effect of changing the interpretation
CBT and Depression
- CBT has been found to be effective at treating people with both moderate and severe depression
- Therapists aim to reduce the symptoms of depression by focusing on what negative emotions the client is feeling
CBT and Schizophrenia
- CBT can help people with SZ by supporting them in a non-judgemental way
- CBT also helps them overcome symptoms of SZ
Neuropsychological Tests
These are tests designed by psychologists to measure how well the brain is functioning. They are sometimes used with people who have had a brain injury to allow psychologists to understand what damage has occurred in the brain.
Brain Imaging
Machinery that allows us to scan peoples brain to see what activity is happening or see difference in brain structure
