psychological problems Flashcards
ICD (international classification of diseases)
lists of symptoms and other features of different physical and mental health problems, which also provide the criteria for diagnosing them
mental health
a person’s emotional and psychological wellbeing; this allows them to cope with the normal stresses of everyday life and to function in society
characteristics of a mentally healthy person
- not being overcome by difficult feelings
- having good relationships with other
- being able to make decisions
- positive engagement with society
mental health problems
diagnosable conditions in which a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviours change and they are less able to cope and function
stigma
situations, people or characteristics that are disapproved of and seen as shameful by much of society
isolation
being or feeling alone and separate from other people
modern living and mental health
- loneliness and isolation can be factors in mental health problems e.g anxiety and depression
- technology and social networks are increasing isolation by replacing face-to-face communication
- living in more populated cities can increase stress
recognition of the nature of mental health problems
- traditional understanding has generally focused on supernatural and spiritual factors
- biological and psychological causes are now becoming more accepted
- rural + developing countries: myths and misconceptions are still widespread
- more people recognizing the biological and psychological nature of mental health problems= more likely to seek medical and psychiatric treatment= increase in worldwide diagnostic rates
reducing social stigma
- term switched from mental “illness” to mental “health”
- one reason for the increasing diagnostic levels may be the lessening of social stigma
effects of mental health problems on individuals
- damage to relationships
- difficulties coping with day to day life
- negative impact on physical wellbeing
effects of mental health problems on society
- need for more social care
- increased crime rates
- implications for the economy
society
a group of people living together in an area or country with common values, laws, and customs
bipolar depression
a mood disorder that causes an individual’s mood, energy, and activity levels to change from one extreme to another
unipolar depression
a mood disorder that causes an individual to feel constantly sad, to lose interest and enjoyment, and to have reduced energy and activity levels
sadness
a normal emotional response to an unpleasant, painful, or unhappy situation or experience
symptoms of unipolar depression
- low mood
- reduced energy and activity levels
- changes to sleep pattern
- changes to appetite levels
- decreased self-confidence
diagnosing unipolar depression
at least 4 symptoms continuously present for at least two weeks
nature
the idea that our characteristics and behaviour are inherited
nurture
the idea that our characteristics and behaviour are influenced by our environment
biological explanation for depression (nature)
- whether an individual will suffer from depression is predetermined by their genes and biology
- caused by an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain
- main neurotransmitters linked to depression: serotonin and norepinephrine
- serotonin: controls biological functions e.g sleep patterns, aggression levels, appetite, and mood
- MRI scans found that depressed people had smaller hippocampuses
- norepinephrine prepares the body for action, autopsy studies show people with many depressive episodes having fewer neurons that release norepinephrine
+ research such as MRI scans and autopsy reports show that neurotransmitters are somehow involved in depression
- very difficult to measure the levels of chemicals in the brain
- brain is complex and there are many chemical reactions that affect your mood in someway therefore unlikely that an imbalance of one neurotransmitter is why depression occurs
psychological explanation for depression (nurture)
- cognitive theory: behaviours and emotions are influenced by the way people explain the things that happen to them and the views that they have about themselves and the world
- schemas are based on our previous experiences and are developed and changed to fit with new experiences and information
- negative schemas are linked to depression
- traumatic events in childhood cause negative schemas to be created, these schemas mean that people view themselves and the world in a negative way
- people with negative schemas can also make errors in their thinking e.g exaggerating how bad things will get
negative schemas
a biased cognitive model of people, objects or situations based on previous information and experience that directs us to perceive, organise or understand new information by focusing on what is bad
attributions
the ways people explain situations and behaviour
how attributions influence depression
two dimensions of attributions are internal/external and stable/unstable
- internal attribution: people explain situations or behaviours as being caused by dispositional factors e.g personality or ability
- external attribution: people explain them as being caused by situational factors e.g economy or the weather
- when people make a stable attribution they explain situations or behavior by factors that do not change e.g gender. unstable attribution= temporary factors e.g tiredness
research shows that people are more likely to be depressed if their attributions are internal and stable rather than external and unstable who see bad things as being caused by factors beyond their control and temporary
treatments for depression
- antidepressants
- CBT
antidepressants
a type of medication used to treat depression
- e.g SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors): stopping the reuptake of serotonin neurotransmitters increases their level in the brain which can reduce the effects of depression
- royal college of psychiatrists states that 50-65% with depression will improve after taking antidepressants and 25-30% will improve after taking a placebo pill
side effects:
- weight gain or loss
- insomnia
- nausea
- suicidal thoughts
CBT (cognitive behaviour therapy)
a talking therapy that can help you manage your problems and emotions by changing the way you think and behave
- changing negative schemas
- focuses on ‘here and now’
holistic
the view that the parts of something are all connected and understandable only by studying things as a whole
holistic approach to depression treatment is likely to involve a combination of medication, therapy, and positive lifestyle changes
reductionist
understanding complex things like human behaviour by simplifying it to its most fundamental and basic parts
biological explanation of mental health is considered to be reductionist as it views depression as having a biological cause and being treatable with antidepressants
wiles’ effectiveness of CBT study aim
to investigate the effectiveness of CBT to treat depressed people who have not improved after taking medication
wiles’ effectiveness of CBT study
design
- longitudinal field experiment
- participants were living in UK aged 18-75 and had been taking antidepressants for at least 6 weeks with little to no improvements
wiles’ effectiveness of CBT study
method
- Participants were randomly allocated to one of two groups.
EXPERIMENTAL GROUP: 234 participants were allocated to receive CBT as well as antidepressant medication along with other medical care for depressed patients.
CONTROL GROUP: 235 participants were allocated to continue to take only antidepressants and normal medical care.
Participants in the CBT group received 12 individual one-hour sessions of CBT from a trained therapist with regular follow ups.
wiles’ effectiveness of CBT study results
After 6 months, 90% of participants were followed up.
46% of the group who received CBT showed a notable improvement in symptoms compared to only
22% of the control group.
At 12 months, the perceived improvements to the quality of life were found to be greater for participants who were receiving CBT
wiles’ effectiveness of CBT study conclusion
When CBT is used in addition to antidepressants and normal medical care, it is an effective way of reducing the symptoms of depression for those people who do not respond well to antidepressants alone.
wiles’ effectiveness of CBT study evaluation
- not effective for everyone, 54% participants did not show improvement (which is more than half)
- decreased sample size due to high drop out rate, 32% did not attend all 12 sessions, generalisations=difficult
- No control of extraneous variables as it was a field experiment
+ longitudinal studies such as this are useful as they show the changes and effects over a period of time.
substance misuse
using a substance for purposes, or in amounts, that may be harmful and that is different to the recommended pattern of use
substance abuse
using a substance in a way that is harmful or dangerous, often because of a consistent pattern of use
addiction
repeated use of a substance resulting in an individual becoming entirely focused on the substance, which they need to have regularly in order to avoid withdrawal symptoms
dependence
repeated use of a substance results in an individual’s brain and body only functioning normally when the substance is present; when the substance is not present, withdrawal symptoms occur
diagnosing dependence syndrome
3 or more symptoms from the ICD-10 present together within the past year
symptoms of dependence syndrome
- a strong desire to use a substance despite harmful consequences
- difficulty in controlling use
- a higher priority given to the substance than to other activities or obligations
a biological explanation for addiction
- some people may inherit a genetic vulnerability towards addiction, making them more prone to develop an addiction
- evidence for genetic vulnerability includes the Kaij’s twin study of alcohol abuse
psychological explanation for addiction
- social pressure: report from the National Institute on Drug Abuse said that 90% of cigarette users in the US started smoking as teens because they were strongly influenced by seeing others smoking
- peer influence: whether their friends used drugs or not
genetic vulnerability
a biological susceptibility towards developing certain conditions or disorders when other influencing elements are also present
hereditary
being transferred from parent to child through their genes
kaij’s alcohol abuse in twins study aim
to see if hereditary factors influence the development of alcohol addiction
kaij’s alcohol abuse in twins study design
- case study including questionnaires, interviews of twins and family members + psychological testing
- 174 pairs of twins, all male and born in southern sweden after 1880
- 48 were monozygotic (identical), 126 were dizygotic (non-identical)
kaij’s alcohol abuse in twins study method
Kaij categorised each twin dependent on their level of alcohol usage. In total there were 5 categories ranging from not drinking at all to a chronic alcoholic.
At least one twin was registered as having alcohol abuse problems.
kaij’s alcohol abuse in twins study results
54% of identical twins were in the same category of alcohol use compared to only 28% of non-identical twins.
As the level of alcohol usage increased, there was a higher concordance rate between identical twins with 72% of chronic alcoholic twins being in the same category as their co-twin.
kaij’s alcohol abuse in twins study conclusion
Hereditary factors were involved in the levels of alcohol usage in alcohol addiction.
kaij’s alcohol abuse in twins study evaluation
- only examined the rate of alcohol use not other addictions, difficult to generalise that all addictions are hereditary
- sample was only males from sweden, not representative
- 46% of twins weren’t in the same category so other factors must be involved otherwise it would be 100%
+ provides evidence that hereditary factors are involved in the levels of alcohol use
+ other studies that support it e.g Kendel’s findings showing that if one co twin was alcoholic the other twin was more likely to become one
aversion therapy
Based on the principles of Classical Conditioning
Addict learns to associate their addiction with something unpleasant e.g antabuse which induces vomiting and therefore avoids the addictive substance.
Other drinks such as soft drinks are given without the drug so that the person is not conditioned to feel sick to all drinks.
evaluation for aversion therapy
- short term: effects are seen to be short term, proven to be more effective when paired with other support e.g counselling or self-management programmes
- high drop out rate due to the therapy’s unpleasant nature
- only focuses on the ‘here and now’ aspect of the problem and not the root of the trigger
self- management programmes
Self-management programmes are interventions designed to give addicts the help they need to manage their addictions.
The programmes provide peer support, accountability and opportunities to develop greater self-awareness.
The groups may be facilitated by a psychologist, therapist or relevant expert.
Members of the groups who are experienced can also provide a positive example to new members.
