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

The medical model Flashcards

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?

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

How do brain regions link to phobias?

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
Q

What brain regions are associated with depression?

A
  • hippocampus
26
Q

How do brain regions link to depression?

A

hippocampus = smaller due to increased cortisol levels

27
Q

What brain regions link to schizophrenia?

A
  • enlarged ventricles
  • visual cortex
  • temporal lobes
  • frontal lobe
28
Q

Why do brain regions link to schizophrenia?

A
  1. temporal lobes
    - understanding of surroundings
  2. frontal lobe
    - disorganised thinking
  3. increased activity in visual cortex
29
Q

What goes the genetic explanation suggest is the cause of mental illness?

A

depression:
- short telomeres = increase chance of depression
- 2 genetic variants
schizophrenia:
- 108 genetic variants
phobias:
- evolutionary genetic transference

30
Q

What is the evolutionary explanation of phobias?

A

Ohman
- predisposition to some phobias to aid survival e.g., snakes and spiders
- environmental triggers

31
Q

How can Ohman be criticised?

A

it is reductionist as it doesn’t explain irrational fears such as houses and faces

32
Q

What are the genetic explanations best studies?

A

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
Q

evaluate the explanations according to the nature vs nurture debate

A

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
Q

evaluate the explanations according to the individual vs situational debate

A

biochemical:
- dispositional (individual) = neurotransmitters
- situational = stress
brain abnormality:
- dispositional (individual) = brain structure
- situational = stress
genetic:
- dispositional (individual) = genes
- situational = triggers

35
Q

evaluate the explanations according to social sensitivity and ethics

A

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
Q

evaluate the explanations according to usefulness

A

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
Q

evaluate the explanations according to the free will vs determinism debate

A

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
Q

evaluate the explanations according to the reductionism vs holism debate

A

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
Q

evaluate the explanations according to psychology as a science

A

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
Q

evaluate the explanations according to ethnocentrism and cultural relativism

A

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
Q

What is the key research for the medical model?

A

Gottesman

42
Q

What are the different types of treatments of mental illness?

A
  • drug therapy
    e.g., schizophrenia = anti-psychotics and depression = SSRIs
  • ECT
  • TMS
43
Q

What is drug therapy?

A

aims to treat psychological disorders with medication

44
Q

How does drug therapy work?

A

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
Q

What is ECT?

A

Electro-Convulsive Therapy = padded electrodes that send high voltage electrical pulses to the brain inducing a small brain seizure

46
Q

How does ECT work for depression?

A

changes the patterns of blood flow and releases chemicals to help the brain recover and grows new cells and neuropathways

47
Q

What is TMS?

A

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation = milder form of brain stimulation

48
Q

How does TMS work for schizophrenia?

A

stops the voices heard by people with schizophrenia

49
Q

evaluate the treatment according to social sensitivity and ethics

A

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
Q

evaluate the treatments according to usefulness

A

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
Q

evaluate the treatments according to the free will vs determinism debate

A

drug therapy:
- deterministic - cannot control neurotransmitters = individual differences
ECT:
- cannot change biology
TMS:
- cannot change activation

52
Q

evaluate treatments according to the reductionism vs holism debate

A

drug therapy:
- oversimplifies complex processes to neurotransmission
ECT:
- oversimplifies to blood flow
TMS:
- abnormality of activation of brain regions

53
Q

evaluate treatments according to psychology as a science

A

drug therapy:
- cannot measure / operationalise
ECT:
- use of scientific equipment (electrodes) = objective
TMS:
- scientific equipment

54
Q

evaluate treatments according to ethnocentrism and cultural relativism

A

ALL:
no culture bias = biology and the brain
ECT & TMS:
not all countries have access to equipment

55
Q

evaluate ECT treatment according to reliability and validity

A

reliability = standardised
validity = unsure why it works = lacks explanations

Applied Psychology: Issues in Mental Health (6 decks)

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