unit 8 - psychological problems

Question 1

what do you know about incidence of mental health problems (MIND statistics)

Answer 1

MIND says that per 100 people

4. 7 have anxiety
5. 6 have depression
6. 6 have a form of eating disorder

Question 2

one in how many people will experience mental health problems

Answer 2

1 in 2 people will experience mental health problems

Question 3

how does incidence of mental health problems change over time

Answer 3

in 2007, 24% of adults were accessing treatment which rose to 37% in 2014
by 2030 it is estimated that 2 million more adults will have mental health problems than in 2013

Question 4

describe the gender difference in mental health treatment

Answer 4

more women are treated than men and the gap is widening

Question 5

how have increased challenges of modern living impacted mental health

Answer 5

income - those in lower income households are more likely to have mental health problems than those from higher income households (27% of men compared to 15% of men)

city living - results in greater social isolation, increasing loneliness and is linked to increased depression

Question 6

describe two cultural variations in beliefs about mental health problems

Answer 6

schizophrenia - in Western society, hearing voices is seen as a sign of schizophrenia whereas in India and Africa it is seen as a positive experience

eating disorders - some syndromes are culture bound (only occurring in certain cultures) ; eating disorders were relatively rare for many years outside of the Western world

Question 7

define characteristics of mental health

Answer 7

the signs and symptoms relating to mental illness are subjective

Question 8

explain the increased recognition of the nature of mental health problems

Answer 8

signs and symptoms are focused on illness instead of health
JAHODA suggested we look for signs of mental health ; she came up with 6 characteristics
(self attitudes, personal growth and self actualisation, integration, autonomy, having an accurate perception of reality, mastery of the environment)

Question 9

talk about the lessening of social stigma

Answer 9

labelling a person as ‘mentally ill’ or a ‘schizophrenic’ develops expectations about their behaviour which can act as a stigma and be harmful
the PREFERRED term is mental health , which has less stigma and is focused on health

Question 10

define individual effects

Answer 10

the way that mental health problems affect the person experiencing them

Question 11

what are the three individual effects of mental health problems

Answer 11

damage to relationships
difficulties coping with day-to-day life
negative impact on physical well-being

Question 12

explain damage to relationships as an individual effect of mental health problems

Answer 12

mental health problems:
affect the ability to talk to others which affects relationships because communication is important
are isolating as people avoid being with others as they feel bad about themselves and fear judgement

Question 13

explain difficulties coping with day-to-day life as an individual effect of mental health problems

Answer 13

mental health problems are linked to difficulties with getting dressed, socialising, cleaning the house etc
this could cause a patient little distress but may be distressing to others

Question 14

explain negative impact on physical well-being as an individual effect of mental health problems

Answer 14

if you are anxious or stressed, the body produces cortisol

this prevents the immune system from functioning properly so physical illness is more likely

Question 15

define social effects

Answer 15

the way that mental health problems affect others in society

Question 16

what are the three social effects of mental health problems

Answer 16

need for more social care
increased crime rate
implications for the economy

Question 17

explain need for more social care as a social effect of mental health problems

Answer 17

taxes are used to fund social care which offers people who are in need the basic necessities
social care includes helping people to learn how to care for themselves and also teaches new social and work skills
we should all feel more PERSONALLY responsible

Question 18

explain increased crime rates as a social effect of mental health problems

Answer 18

there is an increased risk of violence in people with mental health problems (up to 4 times greater)
however this may be explained by COOCCURRING problems such as substance abuse
it was found that only 1 in 20 crimes of violence were linked to mental health problems

Question 19

explain implications for the economy as a social effect of mental health problems

Answer 19

the McCrone report estimates that mental health care costs £22 billion annually
cheaper drug treatments should be researched more
increase in dementia is also an issue

Question 20

define clinical depression

Answer 20

clinical depression is the name for depression as a medical condition

Question 21

the difference between sadness and depression

Answer 21

sadness is a ‘normal’ emotion where you can still function

depression involves an enduring an all-encompassing sadness that stops the ability to function

Question 22

define unipolar depression

Answer 22

one emotional state of depression

Question 23

define bipolar depression

Answer 23

depression alternates with mania (an exaggerated state of intense well-being) and also periods of normal mood

Question 24

what does the ICD say about diagnosis

Answer 24

the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) lists symptoms of different disorders and a person is diagnosed with any one disorder if they display the symptoms

Question 25

how many symptoms of each severity should be shown for each type of depression (mild,moderate,severe)

Answer 25

mild unipolar - 2 out of 3 key symptoms and 2 others
moderate - 5 or 6 symptoms
severe - 7 symptoms or more

Question 26

what are the 3 key symptoms of depression

Answer 26

low mood
loss of interest and pleasure
reduced energy levels

Question 27

what are 7 other symptoms of depression

Answer 27

changes in sleep patterns
changes in appetite levels
decrease in self confidence
guilt
pessimism
ideas of self-harm or suicide
reduced concentration

Question 28

what is a biological explanation

Answer 28

biological explanations focus on physical influences

Question 29

what is a psychological explanation

Answer 29

psychological explanations focus on other factors, like an influences of others and our thinking

Question 30

what are the 3 main points about the biological explanation of depression

Answer 30

neurotransmitters
serotonin
reasons for low serotonin levels

Question 31

explain the neurotransmitters point about the biological explanation of depression

Answer 31

messages travel along a neuron electircally but the messgae is transmitted chemically across the synapse with neurotransmitters
serotonin is a neurotransmitter which has been linked to several behaviours including depression

Question 32

explain the serotonin point about the biological explanation of depression

Answer 32

high levels of serotonin in the synaptic cleft means that the postsynaptic neuron is stimulated, improving mood
low levels of serotonin in the synaptic cleft means that the presynaptic neuron is less stimulated, meaning lower mood

serotonin also affects memory (lack of concentration), sleep( disturbed sleep) and appetite(reduced appetite)

(which are linked to the characteristics of depression)

Question 33

explain the reasons for low serotonin levels point of the biological explanation of depression

Answer 33

genes may cause low serotonin levels where someone inherits a poor ability to produce serotonin

diet may cause low levels of tryptophan which is a key ingredient of serotonin
high protein foods and carbohydrates contain tryptophan

Question 34

give three brief evaluation points of the biological explanation of depression

Answer 34

STRENGTH - research support
WEAKNESS - low levels of serotonin could be a effect as opposed to a cause of depression
WEAKNESS - depression may not be solely caused by abnormal levels of neurotransmitters

Question 35

explain one strength of the biological explanation of depression

Answer 35

one strength of the biological explanation of depression is that there is supporting research evidence
MCNEAL AND CIMBOLIC found lower levels of serotonin in the brains of people with depression
this suggests that there is a link between low levels of serotonin and depression

Question 36

explain two weaknesses of the biological theory of depression

Answer 36

one weakness of the neurotransmitter explanation is low levels of serotonin could be an effect of being depressed
thinking sad thoughts and having difficult experiences could cause low serotonin levels
this means that low levels of serotonin could be an effect of psychological experiences rather than the cause of them

one weakness is that depression may not be solely caused by abnormal levels of neurotransmitters
some people with low levels of serotonin don’t have depression and some people with depression do not have low levels of serotonin
this means that the neurotransmitter explanation is not enough on its own