social factors in mental well-being

Question 1

describe the theory of social causation to explain the over representation of people with mental illness in lower socio-economic groups.

Answer 1

poorer people experience more adversity and stress and this makes them more vulnerable to developing a psychiatric illness

mental illness often triggered by life events and people remain mentally ill because these social influences remain in people’s lives.

Question 2

describe the theory of social selection to explain the over representation of people with mental illness in lower socio-economic groups.

Answer 2

those who are mentally ill have impaired upward social mobility and so they drift into lower socio-economic status and neighbourhood. some evidence to show that middle class conservative communities show negative disregard for mental health patients living in their area while liberal non-traditional neighbourhoods are much more accepting.

Question 3

describe social constructivism.

Answer 3

• we create the society we live in and the labels we give to people of different groups
• we create definitions for those behaviours that do not fit into what is classed as ‘acceptable behaviour’
• unacceptable behaviours are called deviants and are noticed and pathologised > stigma for individual
• people are rewarded for acting and behaving in a certain way deemed ‘normal’
• ‘lay appraisal’ = general population’s understanding of mental illness
• those who do not act normally receive hostility and are forced to take on the sick role as people try to diagnose symptoms and treat them
• ‘them’ and ‘us’ attitude

Question 4

describe the critical theory/anti-psychiatry theory.

Answer 4

• like social constructivism, argues that society creates the labels of mental illness etc.
• mental illness describes a behaviour/action that people resent > ‘fake illnesses’
• labels given so that psychiatric authorities can have power to treat people against their will
• also states that drug addiction is not a disease but a social habit
• coercion leads to lack of control of patient and paternalistic role of doctor
• Thomas Szasz