Psychology Chapter 5 Quiz

Chapter 16: Treatment of Psychological Disorders

• The chapter focuses on various treatments for psychological disorders
• Three essential features of all therapies are: a person seeking help, a trained healer, and a series of contacts aimed at changing attitudes, emotions, or behaviours
• Psychotherapies use words and actions to overcome psychological issues
• Biological therapies use drugs or physiological interventions like surgery
• Approximately 20 million North Americans seek therapy annually, with anxiety or depression being the most common reasons.
• Women account for about two-thirds of therapy clients, compared to one-third for men
• White individuals are more likely to seek treatment than members of other ethnic groups

Learning Objectives

• The course covers treatment in today's world, biological treatments, psychodynamic therapies, behavioural therapies, cognitive-behavioural therapies, humanistic and existential therapies, therapy formats, therapy effectiveness, and final thoughts on the subject.

Who Conducts Therapy?

• Clinicians include clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and counsellors

Stigma

• Stigma associated with mental illness has decreased significantly
• Stigma plays a role in individuals’ decision to acknowledge their mental issues and seek treatment

Where is Treatment Conducted?

• Treatment is conducted in public institutions (hospitals, clinics, schools), private offices
• Most individuals are treated as outpatients
• Individuals with severe psychological disorders often loop through hospital discharges and readmissions and frequently become homeless
• The Canadian Mental Health Act outlines patient rights and involuntary hospital admission procedures

Biological Treatments

• Drug Therapy: Psychotropic drugs primarily affect the brain. Examples include antianxiety drugs, antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and antipsychotics. Table 16-2 lists some commonly prescribed psychotropic drugs for different symptoms.
• Placebos: The placebo effect affects self-appraisal, but not the underlying disorder.
• Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT): A treatment for severe depression that involves sending an electrical current through the brain.
• Vagus Nerve Stimulation: Implanted pulse generators send signals to the vagus nerve, reducing depression
• Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS): A non-invasive procedure that uses electromagnetic coils to send current into the prefrontal cortex.
• Lobotomy: A surgical practice that cuts connections between the frontal lobe and lower brain centres.
• Deep Brain Stimulation: Implanted electrodes deliver low doses of electricity, useful in treating depression, Parkinson's Disease, and other disorders.

Assessing Biological Approaches

• Strengths: Often provides relief after other methods fail, showing promise in research
• Criticisms: Potential for undesirable side effects, lack of consideration of environmental and experience factors

Psychodynamic Therapies

• Focus on past emotional trauma
• About 15% of contemporary clinical psychologists practice this approach
• Different types include psychoanalysis, short-term psychodynamic therapy, and relational psychoanalytic therapy

Psychodynamic Techniques

• Free Association: Clients initiate discussions, therapist probes to uncover unconscious events
• Therapist Interpretation: Therapist interprets client communications
• Resistance: Blocks in free associations or changes in the subject matter
• Transference: Shifting of feelings from childhood figures to therapist
• Catharsis: Reliving past repressed emotions to resolve conflicts
• Working Through: Repeatedly examining an issue to enhance clarity

Assessing Psychodynamic Approaches

• Strengths: Pioneered systematic application of theory and techniques to treatment; broadened perspectives
• Criticisms: Limited research support for effectiveness

Behavioural Therapies

• Abnormal behaviors are learned, similar to adaptive behaviors
• Techniques include classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and modelling
• The goal is to identify problem behaviors and replace them with healthy behaviors
• Effective in treating phobias, anxiety issues

Classical Conditioning Techniques

• Systematic Desensitization: Technique for treating phobias, PTSD, asthma attacks
• Aversion Therapy: Increases anxiety response to harmful stimuli

Operant Conditioning Techniques

• Consistently rewards desirable behaviors and withholds rewards for undesirable behaviors
• Effective method in hospital settings with psychotic patients and educational settings

Behavioural Therapies (Continued)

• Token Economies: Reward positive behaviors with tokens that can be exchanged for privileges or rewards

Assessing Behavioural Approaches

• Strengths: Widely studied, effective for numerous problems
• Criticisms: Changes might require additional therapies for long-term success, not effective for all disorders (non-specific distress)

Cognitive-Behavioural Therapies

• A combination of behavioral and cognitive therapy
• Disorders are rooted in maladaptive thought patterns
• Types include Ellis's rational-emotive behavioral therapy, Beck's cognitive therapy, and second-wave cognitive-behavioral therapies

Cognitive Therapies

• Ellis's Rational-Emotive Therapy: Identifying irrational assumptions leading to emotional and behavioral problems, then replacing assumptions
• Beck's Cognitive Therapy: Therapist helps clients discover negative thoughts and use alternative thinking patterns
• Second-wave Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies: Clients accept problematic thoughts instead of trying to eliminate them

Assessing Cognitive-Behavioural Therapies

• Strengths: Well-supported by research, effective for various disorders
• Criticisms: Uncertain role of cognition, unclear efficacy of specific components

Humanistic and Existential Therapies

• Humanists believe humans are born with the capacity for self-fulfillment
• Existentialists emphasize individual responsibility and present events
• Techniques include Gestalt therapy (challenging/frustrating techniques, role-playing, rules) and Roger's client-centered therapy (active listening, unconditional positive regard, genuineness)

Assessing Humanistic and Existential Therapies

• Strengths: Appealing to clinicians, emphasize positive human qualities
• Criticisms: Difficult to investigate, research support is partial

Formats of Therapy

• Individual therapy: One-on-one sessions with a therapist
• Group therapy: Several clients with similar issues meet concurrently
• Self-help groups: People with shared problems gather for mutual support
• Family therapy: Family members participate as a unit, improving understanding of family interaction dynamics
• Couple therapy: Relationship issues are addressed with both partners present
• Community treatment: Therapy in a familiar community setting

Does Therapy Work?

• Empirically supported treatment movement emphasizes research-backed therapies
• Therapy is more effective than no treatment or a placebo
• Specific therapies are effective for certain disorders (e.g., behavioural for phobias, cognitive-behavioural for anxiety, drug therapy for schizophrenia/bipolar)
• Cultural and gender considerations should be incorporated

Wrapping Up

• Psychology offers many levels of mental process investigation
• Psychology promises better understanding of humanity

Succeeding on MC Tests

• Studying for multiple-choice tests
• Note-taking and self-testing are key strategies.
• Read questions double times, avoid guessing when uncertain
• Ensure adequate attention to details and break when needed.

Final Exam Information

• 90 questions covering all course material
• Questions concerning the first half of chapters 1, 2 and Appendix B, 3, and 6, 7, and 12 will be focused on the first 50 questions
• Questions concerning chapters 15 and 16 will constitute the remaining 40 questions
• The exam lasts two hours.
• It is suggested to arrive early.

Test your knowledge of key concepts from Chapter 5 of Psychology. This quiz covers various therapeutic techniques, the roles of clinicians, and the functions of psychotropic drugs. Challenge yourself to understand the nuances of psychodynamic and behavioral therapies and their applications in treating psychological disorders.