Test 1 Flashcards
Why is the term “Mental Illness” open to interpretation?
- what counts as mentally ill changes over time
- people tend to have stereotypical views about the image of good vs bad mental health
What is a Mental Disorder?
A category of diagnoses that explains something about how someone feels or behaves.
**Affects thought, mood, and behaviour
What is the view of the Medical Model?
- mental illness is a biological disease like anyother
- it has symptoms, diagnoses and treatment
What is the view of the Pyschological Model?
- the disorder is in the MIND and not the BRAIN
What is the view of the Behavioural Model?
- mental disorder is primarily learned behaviour
- people are conditioned (positively/negatively) through repeated actions
What is the view of the Sociological Model?
- the organization of society influences mental health
- status, money, race, gender can all affect mental health
What is the Biopsychosocial Model?
- a combination of every model
Which model is heavily favoured?
The Medical Model
What is Mind/Body Dualism?
The idea that the mind and body are closely connected.
- mental illnesses have have physical symptoms
- physical illnesses can take a toll on the mind
What is the difference between the terms “Mental Illness” and “Mental Disorder”?
“Illness” can be an overarching term, covering many disorders, while “disorder” generally refers to 1. However they are often used interchangeably.
What is the DSM?
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: an official account of all mental disorders
What are some issues with the DSM?
- does not talk about cause or treatment
- lacks hard science
- ignores context of those diagnosed
- at the end of the day, it is made by a group of people whose opinions are subjective
What is Mental Illness?
Definitions vary; “significant and involuntary deviations from what is usually considered normal behaviour in a particular group or society”
Why is it hard to find the line between distress and disorder?
- it is subjective, not scientifically measurable
- greenberg: “if you say someone isn’t sick, you lose a patient”, so for psychiatrists it is a conflict of interest
What is the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist?
A psychiatrist is an MD, they can prescribe medication, and they have the ability to section. Psychologists are only a PhD, and they lack these abilities.
What is psychotherapy?
Essentially, talk therapy
What are somatic therapies?
Body therapies
What is an outpatient?
Someone who sees a psychiatrist/psychologist on a regular basis, but is not hospitalized and otherwise continues to lead a normal life.
What is Psychosis?
A mental state characterized by profound disturbances in thought.
- symptom of various mental disorders
What is Schizophrenia?
A severe mental disorder, characterized by profound disruptions in thinking.
What is the difference between positive (acute) symptoms of schizophrenia and negative (chronic) symptoms?
Positive symptoms are something “extra”; something not normally seen in people that the patient has.
Negative Symptoms are something “missing”; things we normally expect to see in people that the patient is lacking.
What are the two types of positive symptoms of S?
Hallucinations and Delusions
What is a hallucination?
A false sensory experience
- audio (hearing voices)
- visual (seeing things)
What is a delusion?
Beliefs held despite impossible nature
Ex. Control, grandiosity, paranoia, jealousy, reference, nihilism, somatic, erotomania, guilt
What are the two types of Negative symptoms of S?
Chronic affective and emotional Disturbances, and Cognitive/Disorganized symptoms
What are the chronic and emotional disturbance symptoms of S?
Blunted affect, Anhedonia, Asociality, Avolition, Alogia
What are the cognitive symptoms of S?
Cognitive disturbances, disorganized speech, bizarre behaviour
What was Emil Kraeplin’s idea on S?
- he thought that various symptoms that had been thought to be distinct disorders could be grouped together
- dementia praecox: dementia starting in teens
What did Eugen Bleuler think about S?
- realized that it didn’t always start in teens
- realized it wasn’t the same as dementia
- came up with the term “Schizophrenia”
What is Schizoaffective Disorder
- the “bridge” between S and mood disorders
combines the positive symptoms of S with mood disturbances
What are possible causes of S?
- “refrigerator mothers”
- genetics
- other biological: ex. birth complications
- social factors
- stress
- BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL : combo
What is the Dopamine Hypothesis?
The idea that symptoms are product of specific problems of dopamine activity, as antipsychotics decrease dopamine levels.
What is the Social Causation Hypothesis?
The social environment a person lives in (usually not very nice…) causes them to get S.
What is the Social Drift Hypothesis?
The symptoms of S cause a person to live in a certain, usually not very nice, environment, because they keep that person from getting a good job or home.
What is the main difference between Schizophrenia and a physical illness?
People with physical illnesses are cared for, people with S are often treated badly, or exiled from society.
What is MDD?
Major Depressive Disorder: when one or more depressive episodes occurs without mania
What is Persistent Depressive Disorder? (Dysthymia)
A chronic disorder similar to MDD, but less severe.
What is the “Beareavement Exclusion”?
A rule that states that you shouldn’t diagnose someone as depressed if someone they know has died within the last 2 months; they aren’t depressed, just grieving.
Why was the Beareavement Exclusion removed from DSM 5?
- why is 2 months the only appropriate grieving period?
- why does death count more than other upsetting life events?
- is this just an overmedicalization of grief?
What could be the difference between sadness and depression?
- the mood change is persistent
- little to no stimulus is required for mood change
- impaired social functioning
What is BD?
Bipolar Disorder: cycling between mania and depressive episodes.
What is mania?
An exaggerated good mood, stemming from an unrealistic belief in ability.
What is Hypomania?
Super-functional semi-main: doesn’t involve the “crash”, individuals are still functional
What is DMDD?
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder: severe and recurrent temper outbursts in children 6-18, with symptoms beginning by age 10.
- must be observed by 2/3: parents, teachers, peers
What disorder is DMDD often argued to be the same as?
Defiant Disorder: an ongoing pattern of anger guided disobedience, hostile/defiant behaviour toward authority figures that goes beyond normal childhood behaviour.
What is PMDD?
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: in most menstrual cycles in the past year, 5 or more symptoms are felt in the week before menses.
Why do we seem to be in a period of “great depression”?
- the culture changes; more “me” based, more victim blaming
- parenting to prevent failure prevents “good” uses of feeling bad
What is “Flow”?
Doing something that feels better than anything else in the world; hobbies, sports, etc.
What is the link between socal media and depression?
- facebook intrusion is linked to lower happiness
- online social activity is less gratifying than real life
- more time spent online might be linked to depression
What are possible causes of mood disorders?
- life events related to loss (depression) and disruption (mania)
- interpersonal strife
- substance abuse
- genetics
- beck’s negative schemes
What are some possible treatments for mood disorders?
- Beck’s CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy)
- psychodynamic
- drugs (SSRI’s are most common)
- ECT
