Topic 2 - The Medical Model

Question 1

Key Explanations of Mental Health

Answer 1

Biochemical
Genetic
Brain Abnormality

Question 2

Biochemical Explanation of Depression

Answer 2

The Biochemical explanation of depression is that it could be caused by a lack of serotonin.

It is suggested that what is happening is that the body is not responding in an appropriate way to the stimulus, as there is too little serotonin in the nervous system to transmit electrical impulses correctly across the synaptic gap.

Question 3

Biochemical Explantaion of Schiziophrenia

Answer 3

It is suggested that schiziophrenia could be related to high levels of dopamine within the CNS, causing an overload of dopamine to reach post-synaptic nerve cells.

Question 4

Objectives of Biochemical Treatment

Answer 4

Focusing on restoring normal levels of neurotransmitter activity, Eg. Increasing serotonin / reducing dopamine

Question 5

Genetic Explanation 1 - Parents

Answer 5

Certain disorders can be passed from parents to children through genetic transmission.

Supported by Gottesman’s research.

Question 6

Genetic Explanation 2 - Evolution

Answer 6

Humans have inherited traits that have a positive effect on our chances of survival.

eg. Phobias of dangerous things

Question 7

Potential treatment of Genetic Explanations

Answer 7

Embryo manipulation to reduce the inheritence of physical disorders.

Question 8

Brain Abnormality Explanations of Schiziophrenia

Answer 8

Brown et al (1986) - The Brains of Schiziophrenics wer 6% lighter as they had enlarged lateral ventricles (hollow areas) and a thinner para-hippocampal cortices.

Weinberger (1992) - MRI scans of identical twins, where one had Schiziophrenia - revealed differences in pre-frontal cortex and the hippocampus volume.

Question 9

Brain Abnormality Explanations of Depression

Answer 9

Patients with depression can show a smaller Hippocampus volume.

This may have occured as people with depression may have been stressed, triggering the secretion of cortisol.

Cortisol destroys hippocampal cells, making them unable to respond to serotonin

Sheline et al (1995) - Elderly women with depression in remission had smaller hippocamuses than in women of the same age without depression

Question 10

Brain Abnormality potential treatment

Answer 10

Drug Therapy
Surgery

Question 11

Key Research

Answer 11

Gottesman et al (2010) - Disorders in offspring with two psychiatrically ill parents

Question 12

Aim

Answer 12

To investigate in a large sample the probability of a child being diagnosed with a mental disorder if either or both their parents had the disorder.

Question 13

Sample

Answer 13

2.7 million
Denmark
10-52 years old
Clear biological link to their parents

Question 14

Procedure

Answer 14

Data was obtained through the Psychiatric Central Register

Gottesman created 4 groups to compare-

1. Two parents admitted with Schiziophrenia, Bipolar or depression
2. One parent admitted with Schiziophrenia, Bipolar or depression
3. Neither Parent admitted
4. ‘General Public’

Question 15

Findings

Answer 15

% of people admitted to mental hospital with a diagnosis of schiziophrenia

Both Parents - 27.3%
One Parent - 7%
Neither - 0.86%
General pop. - 1.12%

Question 16

Conclusions

Answer 16

Where both parnets have been admitted with schiziophrenia or bipolar , offspring are at ‘super-high risk’ of being admitted with the same disorder.

Question 17

Application - Biological Treatments

Answer 17

Drug Therapy
Brain Stimulation

Question 18

Drug Therapy

Answer 18

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are used to treat depression.

They block the reabsorbtion of serotonin into the pre-synaptic neuron.

Consequently, with a greater amount of serotonin in the synapse, there is an increased transmission of serotonin into the psot-synaptic neuron.

Question 19

Types of Brain Stimulation

Answer 19

Electro-Convulsive Therapy (ECT)
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

Question 20

Electro-Convulsive Therapy (ECT)

Answer 20

Electrodes placed on the patients temples and an electic shock is given.

This aims to induce an epileptic shock to ‘jump-start’ the entire brain.

Question 21

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

Answer 21

An electromagnetic coil is held against the patient’s head and an electromagnetic field passes through the brain.