Topic 3: The Psychodynamic Explanation Flashcards
What does the term “schizophrenogenic” mean?
A factor that causes schizophrenia.
Who introduced the psychodynamic approach to mental illness?
Sigmund Freud.
What are the key factors in the psychodynamic approach that influence mental health?
The unconscious mind, early life trauma, and quality of early relationships.
How does the psychodynamic approach differ from behavioral and cognitive explanations?
It is clinical rather than objective and scientific.
What is the Hydraulic Model based on?
Phrases like “to cry oneself out” and “to blow off steam,” which describe emotional release.
What did Freud compare psychic energy to?
Physical energy—suggesting it can be transferred and dissipated but not destroyed.
How does the Hydraulic Model explain mental disorders?
Symptoms arise from the buildup of psychic energy.
What is the goal of psychodynamic therapy based on the Hydraulic Model?
Catharsis (emotional release).
What was Freud’s seduction theory?
The idea that childhood sexual abuse could cause psychological problems.
Which case did Freud use to support the seduction theory?
The case of Anna O.
How did Freud explain Anna O’s hearing loss?
He believed it was caused by her eavesdropping on her parents having sex.
How did Freud later shift his focus regarding trauma?
From sexual abuse to sexual fantasy.
Which case did Freud use to support his idea of sexual fantasy?
The case of Dora.
How did Freud explain Dora’s loss of voice?
He believed it was due to her repressed desire for the man who molested her.
According to Freud, what childhood experience could lead to depression?
The loss or rejection of a parent.
How did Freud compare depression to the experience of losing a loved one?
He found similarities between grief for a lost loved one and childhood loss leading to depression.
What unconscious conflict did Freud believe caused depression?
The battle between anger toward the parent and love for them.
How does this emotional conflict contribute to depression?
It leads to repression, guilt, and low self-esteem
Who proposed the existence of a schizophrenogenic mother?
Fromm-Reichmann (1948).
What childhood environment did Fromm-Reichmann link to schizophrenia?
Families with high emotional tension and secrecy and a mother who was cold and domineering.
How did the envrionment in the family, specifically the secrecy, relate to schizophrenia symptoms?
It contributed to the development of delusions of persecution.
