Psychology Chapter on Schizophrenia

Applications of Psychology - Clinical Psychology

• Paper 2 is about clinical psychology
• This includes diagnosis of mental disorders, classification systems, schizophrenia, unipolar depression and individual differences
• Includes methods for researching mental health, HCPC guidelines etc
• Key Figures/Studies mentioned include: Fish Schizophrene (1986), Rosenhan (1973), Carlsson et al (1999), Tsang et al (1999), Kroenke et al (2008), and Davis (2009) among others.
• The study also covers diagnosis of mental disorders using 4 Ds - deviance, distress, dysfunction, and danger; classification systems DSM-5 and ICD-10; one biological explanation of schizophrenia, one non-biological explanation, and one biological treatment, in addition to one non-biological treatment.

Classification Systems

• DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition) is a widely used classification system in the USA and other westernized countries.
• ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision) is the global classification standard used by the WHO.

Schizophrenia

• Symptoms and features, including thought insertion, hallucinations, delusions, and disordered thinking, are described.
• Biological explanations, such as the role of neurotransmitters, especially dopamine (hyperdopaminergia), are discussed.
• Non-biological explanations (e.g., social causation) are examined.
• Biological treatments (e.g., antipsychotics) are detailed.
• Psychological treatments (e.g. Assertive Community Therapy) are clarified.
• Individual differences, like cultural influences, are highlighted.

Unipolar Depression

• Symptoms and features are described which include low mood and sadness, lethargy, loss of interest and pleasure, anxiety, disturbed sleep, and appetite disturbances)
• Biological explanations (e.g. the monoamine hypothesis) are addressed.
• Non-biological explanations (e.g., Beck's cognitive model) are discussed.
• Biological treatments (e.g., drug treatments such as SSRIs).
• Psychological treatments (e.g., CBT) are examined.

Research Methods

• Longitudinal, cross-sectional, and cross-cultural research methods are discussed.
• Primary and secondary data are explained.
• Case studies, including relevant example studies, are detailed.
• Interviews, with specific examples like the PHQ-8, are elaborated.

Diagnosing mental disorders

• Different classifications and systems involved will be discussed like the DSM and ICD
• The 4 criteria of diagnosing a mental disorder, including deviance, dysfunction, distress, and danger are defined
• Issues regarding the validity and reliability of the classifications and systems, and how it varies from culture to culture, are presented

Additional Concepts

• The importance of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) guidelines for clinical practitioners
• Ethical considerations in clinical practice
• The use of psychological knowledge in society for treatments and therapies.
• How cultural, gender and social differences affect diagnosis, and the validity and reliability of those diagnoses