Clinical Psychology & Mental Health Overview

Clinical Psychology & Mental Health

• Clinical psychology diagnoses and treats psychological problems and disorders.
• Psychotherapy is the interaction between a therapist and a client with a psychological disorder. The goal is to relieve the disorder.
• Eclectic psychotherapy uses different perspectives from various schools of thought.
• Professional ethics codes (e.g., OPQ) emphasize confidentiality in therapy. Therapists must be mindful of compassion, fatigue, and client trauma.
• Mental health practice history includes deinstitutionalization and advancements in drug therapies in the mid-20th century, moving to community treatments.
• The mental health system includes clients/patients, psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychotherapists.
• Preventive care in mental health includes primary prevention (before the problem arises), secondary prevention (intervening with affected people), and tertiary prevention (preventing relapse).

Biological Treatments

• Psychopharmacology studies how drugs affect behavior.
• A wide range of psychoactive medications is used; these might be used when psychological disorders have a biological source or clients don't respond to other therapies.

Drugs

• Possible unpleasant side effects
• Difficulty finding a proper dose
• Relapse if not paired with psychotherapy
• Possible side effects: addiction, tolerance.
• Antipsychotic Drugs
  • Typical antipsychotics treat psychotic symptoms (e.g., hallucinations, delusions). Examples include chlorpromazine, Haldol, Stelazine, and Loxitane.
  • Atypical antipsychotics treat other symptoms (e.g., apathy) and alter serotonin activity. Examples include risperidone, quetiapine, olanzapine, aripiprazole, and clozapine.
• Antidepressants
  • Help increase norepinephrine and serotonin levels
  • Types include SNRIs (e.g., Venlafaxine), SSRIs (e.g., fluoxetine, paroxetine, Fluvoxamine), and NDRIs.
• MAO inhibitors are a last resort due to severe side effects. They are used to treat severe anxiety.

Other Treatments

• Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a last resort for severe cases, involving a procedure to reduce impact on verbal memory. It involves muscle relaxant and consent.
• Psychosurgery (neurosurgery) is only used for rare cases involving altering specific brain parts with lasers.
• Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) activates less active brain regions in depression. This can improve the regulation of emotions and thought.
• Deep brain stimulation involves using electrodes in the brain to produce electrical impulses. It is used for OCD and depression.
• Psychedelics such as psilocine are extracted from hallucinogen mushrooms and used under supervision.

Psychotherapies

• Psychodynamic psychotherapy: explores unconscious conflicts to understand mental disorders. Techniques include investigation of childhood experiences.
• Psychoanalysis: free association (letting clients talk freely), dream analysis (manifest and latent content), and hypnosis.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): identifies thought and behavior patterns to address problems. Cognitive therapy (e.g., Beck) focuses on challenging irrational thoughts. Behavioral therapy includes Exposure treatments, aversive conditioning, and based-on-operant conditioning.
• Humanistic therapies focus on individual potential for growth, self-awareness, and confidence.
• Group therapies: support groups offer mutual experience (e.g., AA, NA). Family therapies are usually used when family is a part of the system.
• Gestalt therapy helps clients become aware of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Techniques may involve confrontation, present experiences ("here and now"), and "empty chair."
• Client-centered therapy emphasizes therapists' acceptance, active listening, and unconditional positive regard for clients.

Evaluating Psychotherapies

• The effectiveness of psychotherapy depends on client, therapist, and the specific disorder.
• Success is highly correlated with therapist-client relationships and/or the strength of rapport.

This quiz covers key concepts in clinical psychology and mental health, including the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders, various psychotherapeutic approaches, and the historical evolution of mental health practices. Learn about the importance of ethics in therapy, the mental health system's components, and preventive care strategies in mental health. Test your knowledge on these vital topics in the field of psychology.