unit 8 - psychological problems Flashcards
what do you know about incidence of mental health problems (MIND statistics)
MIND says that per 100 people
- 7 have anxiety
- 6 have depression
- 6 have a form of eating disorder
one in how many people will experience mental health problems
1 in 2 people will experience mental health problems
how does incidence of mental health problems change over time
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
describe the gender difference in mental health treatment
more women are treated than men and the gap is widening
how have increased challenges of modern living impacted mental health
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
describe two cultural variations in beliefs about mental health problems
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
define characteristics of mental health
the signs and symptoms relating to mental illness are subjective
explain the increased recognition of the nature of mental health problems
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)
talk about the lessening of social stigma
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
define individual effects
the way that mental health problems affect the person experiencing them
what are the three individual effects of mental health problems
damage to relationships
difficulties coping with day-to-day life
negative impact on physical well-being
explain damage to relationships as an individual effect of mental health problems
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
explain difficulties coping with day-to-day life as an individual effect of mental health problems
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
explain negative impact on physical well-being as an individual effect of mental health problems
if you are anxious or stressed, the body produces cortisol
this prevents the immune system from functioning properly so physical illness is more likely
define social effects
the way that mental health problems affect others in society
what are the three social effects of mental health problems
need for more social care
increased crime rate
implications for the economy
explain need for more social care as a social effect of mental health problems
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
explain increased crime rates as a social effect of mental health problems
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
explain implications for the economy as a social effect of mental health problems
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
define clinical depression
clinical depression is the name for depression as a medical condition
the difference between sadness and depression
sadness is a ‘normal’ emotion where you can still function
depression involves an enduring an all-encompassing sadness that stops the ability to function
define unipolar depression
one emotional state of depression
define bipolar depression
depression alternates with mania (an exaggerated state of intense well-being) and also periods of normal mood
what does the ICD say about diagnosis
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
how many symptoms of each severity should be shown for each type of depression (mild,moderate,severe)
mild unipolar - 2 out of 3 key symptoms and 2 others
moderate - 5 or 6 symptoms
severe - 7 symptoms or more
what are the 3 key symptoms of depression
low mood
loss of interest and pleasure
reduced energy levels
what are 7 other symptoms of depression
changes in sleep patterns changes in appetite levels decrease in self confidence guilt pessimism ideas of self-harm or suicide reduced concentration
what is a biological explanation
biological explanations focus on physical influences
what is a psychological explanation
psychological explanations focus on other factors, like an influences of others and our thinking
what are the 3 main points about the biological explanation of depression
neurotransmitters
serotonin
reasons for low serotonin levels
explain the neurotransmitters point about the biological explanation of depression
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
explain the serotonin point about the biological explanation of depression
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)
explain the reasons for low serotonin levels point of the biological explanation of depression
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
give three brief evaluation points of the biological explanation of depression
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
explain one strength of the biological explanation of depression
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
explain two weaknesses of the biological theory of depression
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
