the medical model

Question 1

the biochemical explanation for mental illness

Answer 1

imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain

Question 2

biochemical explanation for phobias

Answer 2

low levels of serotonin and dopamine

Question 3

biochemical explanation of depression

Answer 3

low levels of serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine

Question 4

biochemical explanation of schizophrenia

Answer 4

high levels of dopamine

Question 5

Lazenberger

Answer 5

A: to investigate a serotonin receptor’s binding potential in social phobia
pps: 12 males with social phobia and 18 controls
R: lower binding potential of serotonin receptors of social phobias in the amygdala

Question 6

strengths of the biochemical explanation

Answer 6

+falsifiable, we can measure neurotransmitters using PET scans
+evidence to support, Lazenberger
+useful, medications which is inexpensive compared to therapy

Question 7

weaknesses of the biochemical explanation

Answer 7

-conflicting evidence, Lazenberger and Flick had two different conclusions regarding social phobia
-cant establish cause + effect, don’t know if an imbalance of neurotransmitters causes mental illness or the other way round
-reductionist, suggests that mental illness is down to biology only ignoring environmental factors

Question 8

drug treatment of anxiety and depression

Answer 8

to increase serotonin levels, MAOI inhibits enzymes which break down serotonin, so there will be an increase in the binding potential. this reduces the symptoms of anxiety/depression
e.g. Leibowitz
A: to see if the drug Phenelzine can treat patients with social phobia
lab experiment with 80 pps.
those treated with phenelzine had better scores on social phobia tests than the placebo group

Question 9

outline how ECT works

Answer 9

electric shocks are administered to the head inducing a seizure lasting for 15-60 seconds. a course of treatment lasts for 2-3 weeks.
ECT works as the electrical current changes the activity of neurotransmitters.
some research suggests as it increases the blood flow to certain areas of the brain.

Question 10

evaluation of drug treatment

Answer 10

+ many variations of antidepressants depending on the severity of the mental illness
+ evidence provided, showing the effectiveness of drug treatment
- reductionist, only targets the biochemical idea of mental illness
- some drugs cant be given to everyone due to certain risks e.g. patients high risk of suicide or pregnant women

Question 11

What is the genetic explanation of mental illness

Answer 11

Genes pre-dispose an individual to a mental illness inherited from parents.
the more genetically similar individuals are, the higher concordance rate they should have regarding mental illness

Question 12

Gottesman - aim

Answer 12

To calculate the risk to offspring of having both parents with a psychiatric disorder

Question 13

Gottesman - M,S,Pr

Answer 13

Cohort study
2.7 million families in Denmark from the civil registration system
categorised into 4 groups:
both parents with bipolar or schizophrenia
One parent with bipolar or schizophrenia
neither parent with bipolar or schizophrenia
The general population

Question 14

Gottesman - results

Answer 14

27% diagnosed with schizophrenia when both parents had schizophrenia
7% diagnosed with schizophrenia when one parent has schizophrenia
0.9% diagnosed with schizophrenia when neither had schizophrenia
31.7 times more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia when both parents are also diagnosed
3.9% more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia when one parent is also diagnosed

Question 15

Gottesman - conclusions

Answer 15

there is a strong genetic link for mental illness but, we can not rule out the impact of the environment

Question 16

strengths of gottesman

Answer 16

high concurrent validity, diagnoses made from the DSM and ICD
+ large sample size, 2.7 million families - can generalise to the public
+useful, can advice people on the risks associated with children, advising adoption or genetic counselling

Question 17

weaknesses of Gottesman

Answer 17

• lacks construct validity, only looks at 3 mental disorders
• ethnocentric, sample only from Denmark, cant generalise
  -unethical, causes discrimination against parents who both have a mental illness

Question 18

brain abnormality explanation for mental illness

Answer 18

over/under activity in a particular region of the brain or a difference in structure causes mental illness

Question 19

brain abnormality explanation for anxiety

Answer 19

people with anxiety are found to have an over active amygdala when shown emotional stimuli. the amygdala is in invloved in responding to emotional stimuli

Question 20

pines research

Answer 20

pine compared amygdala research responses in those with social phobia and those who were healthy using an fMRI. those with social phobias had a greater amygdala activity in response to fearful stimuli than those who were healthy.

Question 21

strengths of the brain abnormality explanation for mental illness

Answer 21

+ falsifiable, we can see brain structure through fMRI scanning
+evidence to back up, pine
+high internal reliability, uses standardised equipment to measure brain activity

Question 22

weaknesses of the brain abnormality explanation for mental illness

Answer 22

-deterministic, doesn’t account for our free will, suggesting we cant get over phobias or disorders ourselves
- lacks internal validity, cant establish cause and effect, the disorder may cause the brain abnormality or vice versa.