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Applied Psychology: Issues in Mental Health > The medical model > Flashcards

The medical model Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the medical model?

A

that mental and emotional issues are related to a biological (physical) cause and can therefore be treated by medication and drugs

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2
Q

What are the two key neurotransmitters for the medical model?

A

dopamine & serotonin

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3
Q

What does serotonin do?

A

regulates mood to normal levels - calmer, happier, and more focused

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4
Q

How does serotonin link to a mental disorder?

A

low levels are associated with depression

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5
Q

What does dopamine do?

A

gives feelings of pleasure, satisfaction, and motivation also associated with: memory, mood, sleep, and concentration

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6
Q

How does dopamine link to a mental disorder?

A

too much leads to schizophrenia (responsible for positive symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions)

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7
Q

Why can the medical model be criticised?

A

it is reductionist - oversimplifies complex processes and interactions

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8
Q

How many explanations are there within the medical model?

A

3

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9
Q

What are the explanations of the medical model?

A
  1. biochemical
  2. brain abnormalities
  3. genetic
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10
Q

How are mental illnesses biochemically explained?

A

suggests that there are imbalances of neurotransmitters that affect the transmission of signals between neurons

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11
Q

What are the important biological structures for the biochemical explanation?

A
  • presynaptic neuron (axon terminal)
  • vesical sack (holds neurotransmitters)
  • cell membrane
  • reuptake channel
  • synapse
  • receptors
  • postsynaptic neuron (dendrite)
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12
Q

How do the signals change during the biochemical process?

A

electrical to chemical to electrical

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13
Q

What effects low levels of neurotransmitters?

A

can be born with low levels OR can be used up due to environmental triggers and experiences causing low levels

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14
Q

What happens biochemically with depression?

A
  • low levels of serotonin
  • presynaptic neuron releases serotonin into synapse
  • not as much serotonin binds to the receptors on the postsynaptic neuron
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15
Q

What are the results of low serotonin?

A

characteristics of depression such as: avolition, low mood, and fatigue

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16
Q

How can we treat depression with drug therapy and how does it work?

A
  • SSRI’s block the reuptake channel giving the serotonin a better chance to bind to the receptors on the postsynaptic neuron
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17
Q

What are SSRI’s?

A

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibiter

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18
Q

Why do SSRIs block the reuptake channel?

A

because the reuptake channel will recycle (suck back up) the serotonin back into the presynaptic neuron before it gets chance to bind to the receptors

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19
Q

What happens biochemically for someone with schizophrenia?

A
  • high levels of dopamine
  • presynaptic neuron releases too much dopamine into the synapse
  • too much binds to the D2 receptors on the postsynaptic neuron
  • excites the characteristics of schizophrenia such as hallucinations and delusions
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20
Q

How can schizophrenia be treated through drug therapy?

A

anti-psychotics that bind to the same receptors on the postsynaptic neuron as dopamine = decrease dopamine binding = decrease positive symptoms

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21
Q

What are examples of drugs that treat mental illness (depression & schizophrenia)?

A
  • SSRI = fluoxetine
  • anti-psychotic = chlorpromazine
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22
Q

What technology is used to detect brain abnormalities?

A

fMRI scans

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23
Q

What brain regions are related to phobias?

Study These Flashcards
A
  • basal ganglia
  • orbitofrontal cortex (OFC)
  • amygdala
24
Q

How do brain regions link to phobias?

Study These Flashcards
A
  1. basal ganglia = rewards - reinforces avoidance of the phobic object
  2. OFC = threatening visual stimuli
    - phobic object increases activation
  3. amygdala = major processing centre for emotions
    - fear of phobic object
25
What brain regions are associated with depression?
- hippocampus
26
How do brain regions link to depression?
hippocampus = smaller due to increased cortisol levels
27
What brain regions link to schizophrenia?
- enlarged ventricles - visual cortex - temporal lobes - frontal lobe
28
Why do brain regions link to schizophrenia?
1. temporal lobes - understanding of surroundings 2. frontal lobe - disorganised thinking 3. increased activity in visual cortex
29
What goes the genetic explanation suggest is the cause of mental illness?
depression: - short telomeres = increase chance of depression - 2 genetic variants schizophrenia: - 108 genetic variants phobias: - evolutionary genetic transference
30
What is the evolutionary explanation of phobias?
Ohman - predisposition to some phobias to aid survival e.g., snakes and spiders - environmental triggers
31
How can Ohman be criticised?
it is reductionist as it doesn't explain irrational fears such as houses and faces
32
What are the genetic explanations best studies?
twin adoption studies: - monozygotic twins share 100% genes therefore it is able to see if mental illness is genetic or a product of the environment
33
evaluate the explanations according to the nature vs nurture debate
biochemical: - born with neurotransmitters BUT - stress or trauma can cause changes in neurotransmitter volume brain abnormality: - born with brain structures but can also be a result of the environment e.g., can be born with a small hippocampus genetics: - cannot change genes that are inherited BUT - environment triggers (ohman) = epigenetics
34
evaluate the explanations according to the individual vs situational debate
biochemical: - dispositional (individual) = neurotransmitters - situational = stress brain abnormality: - dispositional (individual) = brain structure - situational = stress genetic: - dispositional (individual) = genes - situational = triggers
35
evaluate the explanations according to social sensitivity and ethics
biochemical: - over reliance on medication = lack of motivation creates a self-fulfilling prophecy brain abnormality: - deterministic = difficult to change leads to labelling and stigma genetic: - unchangeable = labelling and stigma
36
evaluate the explanations according to usefulness
biochemical: - provides treatment that works (SSRIs) BUT - side effects and may not work for everyone brain abnormality: - brain plasticity - fMRI helps diagnosis BUT - brain plasticity is very hard to change genetic: - genetic counselling provides support/ family planning/ adoption
37
evaluate the explanations according to the free will vs determinism debate
biochemical: - free will = able to control environment and boost production of neurotransmitters BUT - ultimately cannot control - there are individual differences in treatment = may not work for everyone brain abnormality: - deterministic - structure cannot be changed BUT - brain plasticity genetic: - unchangeable = deterministic
38
evaluate the explanations according to the reductionism vs holism debate
biochemical: - reductionist - oversimplifies to neurotransmission brain abnormality: - ignores complex interactions and oversimplifies brain structure BUT - environmental changes are taken into consideration genetic: - most holistic - acknowledges interaction = explores interaction between genes = epigenetics
39
evaluate the explanations according to psychology as a science
biochemical: - cannot see neurotransmitters due to lack of equipment therefore cannot be measured or isolated - individual differences brain abnormality: - quantitative data (brain scans) = objective - only a correlation, cannot establish causality genetic: - can view the genome BUT - holistic view decreases scientific
40
evaluate the explanations according to ethnocentrism and cultural relativism
biochemical: - same type of neurotransmitters for everyone BUT - cannot tell as cannot be viewed brain abnormality: - use of brain scans = not everyone has access to = limits understanding - not everyone brains are scanned genetic: - research only focuses on limited populations therefore cannot fully explain differences in cultures = limits understanding BUT - maybe no genetic differences because humans are so similar
41
What is the key research for the medical model?
Gottesman
42
What are the different types of treatments of mental illness?
- drug therapy e.g., schizophrenia = anti-psychotics and depression = SSRIs - ECT - TMS
43
What is drug therapy?
aims to treat psychological disorders with medication
44
How does drug therapy work?
SSRIs = prevents the reuptake of serotonin giving the serotonin a better chance to bind anti-psychotics = bind to D2 receptors so that less dopamine binds
45
What is ECT?
Electro-Convulsive Therapy = padded electrodes that send high voltage electrical pulses to the brain inducing a small brain seizure
46
How does ECT work for depression?
changes the patterns of blood flow and releases chemicals to help the brain recover and grows new cells and neuropathways
47
What is TMS?
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation = milder form of brain stimulation
48
How does TMS work for schizophrenia?
stops the voices heard by people with schizophrenia
49
evaluate the treatment according to social sensitivity and ethics
drug therapy: - removes accountability and the need for medication labels people for life ECT: - severe side effects such as severe memory loss AND - not mentioning side effects removes consent
50
evaluate the treatments according to usefulness
drug therapy: - takes 3 weeks to work and is less effective over time & may not work for everyone ECT: - side effects BUT does work - immediate treatment TMS: - not a long term solution = more expensive BUT - very effective
51
evaluate the treatments according to the free will vs determinism debate
drug therapy: - deterministic - cannot control neurotransmitters = individual differences ECT: - cannot change biology TMS: - cannot change activation
52
evaluate treatments according to the reductionism vs holism debate
drug therapy: - oversimplifies complex processes to neurotransmission ECT: - oversimplifies to blood flow TMS: - abnormality of activation of brain regions
53
evaluate treatments according to psychology as a science
drug therapy: - cannot measure / operationalise ECT: - use of scientific equipment (electrodes) = objective TMS: - scientific equipment
54
evaluate treatments according to ethnocentrism and cultural relativism
ALL: no culture bias = biology and the brain ECT & TMS: not all countries have access to equipment
55
evaluate ECT treatment according to reliability and validity
reliability = standardised validity = unsure why it works = lacks explanations

Applied Psychology: Issues in Mental Health (10 decks)

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