Psychology: Criticisms of Medicalisation of Mental Health

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Questions and Answers

What is the prevalence of a specific anxiety disorder in the USA?

0.4-3.6%

0.9% (correct)

13.3%

At what age does the onset of a certain anxiety disorder typically occur?

30 (correct)

Early adolescence

Older age groups

What is the main fear in a specific anxiety disorder?

Darkness or heights

Separation from attachment figures

Enclosed or small spaces

Social or performance situations (correct)

Which of the following is a characteristic of a specific anxiety disorder?

Marked fear or anxiety about social situations Signup and view all the answers

What is the prevalence of separation anxiety disorder in the general population?

Not specified in the content Signup and view all the answers

What is the typical age range for the onset of separation anxiety disorder?

Not specified in the content Signup and view all the answers

Which gender is more likely to develop a specific anxiety disorder?

Women Signup and view all the answers

What is the lifetime prevalence of social anxiety disorder?

13.3% Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of the medicalisation of mental health approach?

Symptom elimination Signup and view all the answers

What is the limitation of the cutoff points in the medicalisation of mental health approach?

They are too rigid Signup and view all the answers

What is the main limitation of the diagnosis process in the medicalisation of mental health approach?

It is not sensitive to individual and cultural differences Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary benefit of the clinical prototype approach?

It allows for treatment of a larger number of persons Signup and view all the answers

Who is credited with the quote 'Behind every twisted mind lies a twisted molecule'?

Hippocrates of Cos Signup and view all the answers

What is the main idea behind the social model approach?

The cause of mental illness is the result of social forces Signup and view all the answers

What is the criticism of the medical model approach as stated by Thomas Szasz?

Men mistake medicine for magic Signup and view all the answers

What is the main idea behind the quote 'Madness cannot be found in a wild state'?

Mental illness is a product of social forces Signup and view all the answers

What is the typical age of onset for childhood onset fluency disorder?

Before age 5 Signup and view all the answers

What is a common comorbid condition with childhood onset fluency disorder?

Social anxiety disorder Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of childhood onset fluency disorder that distinguishes it from other anxiety disorders?

The disturbance is not better explained by an anxiety disorder that is not substance/medication induced Signup and view all the answers

What is a requirement for a diagnosis of childhood onset fluency disorder?

The disturbance causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning Signup and view all the answers

What is the prevalence of childhood onset fluency disorder?

Unclear Signup and view all the answers

What is the gender ratio for childhood onset fluency disorder?

F=M Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between childhood onset fluency disorder and other anxiety disorders?

It is not better explained by an anxiety disorder that is not substance/medication induced Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the group of disorders that includes childhood onset fluency disorder?

Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders Signup and view all the answers

What is the approximate prevalence of dissociative identity disorder in the population?

2.4% Signup and view all the answers

What is the typical age of onset for dissociative identity disorder?

16 years old Signup and view all the answers

What is a common symptom of dissociative identity disorder?

Transient depersonalization/derealization symptoms Signup and view all the answers

What is a key feature of the disruption in identity in dissociative identity disorder?

Marked discontinuity in sense of self and sense of agency Signup and view all the answers

What is a common co-occurring condition with dissociative identity disorder?

Depressive disorder Signup and view all the answers

What is considered a main risk factor for developing dissociative identity disorder?

Trauma and abuse in childhood Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of individuals with dissociative identity disorder were depressed in Putnam's sample (1986)?

90% Signup and view all the answers

What is a key feature of dissociative identity disorder that distinguishes it from other dissociative disorders?

Disruption of identity characterized by 2 or more distinct personality states Signup and view all the answers

What is the characteristic associated with a poorer outcome in schizophrenia?

Male sex Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for abnormal perceptions in schizophrenia?

Hallucinations Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a negative symptom of schizophrenia?

Avolition Signup and view all the answers

What is the DSM criterion for the duration of symptoms in schizophrenia?

Six months Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for decreased ability to experience pleasure from positive stimuli in schizophrenia?

Anhedonia Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a type of delusion of thought control in schizophrenia?

All of the above Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the apparent lack of interest in social interactions in schizophrenia?

Asociality Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the reduction in the expression of emotions in schizophrenia?

Diminished emotional expression Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Medicalisation of Mental Health

The medicalisation of mental health leads to a symptom-based perspective, where the individual is reduced to a set of symptoms, and the focus becomes symptom elimination rather than individual well-being.
Cut-off points for diagnosis can be too rigid, such as the 1-year cut-off point for Prolonged Grief Disorder.

Limitations of Diagnosis

Differences between abnormality and normality are of degree, not kind.
Labelling can lead to hospitalization, which is a form of social control, and diagnosis can be a powerful tool.
Diagnosis may not be sensitive to individual and cultural differences, leading to misdiagnosis and perpetuation of clinical stereotypes.

Clinical Prototypes

Clinical prototypes are used to diagnose mental health conditions, assuming that members of a prototypical group display distinctive and common clinical behavior.
The presenting clinical picture is composed of several co-varying traits and symptoms.

Advantages of Diagnosis

Diagnosis provides hope and a sense of control over the condition.
It reduces subjective interpretation and safeguards clients by advising against certain tasks and activities.
All professionals arrive at a diagnosis through the same standardized procedure, using verbal shorthand to avoid diagnostic confusion.

The medical model views mental illness as a result of biological factors, e.g., "Behind every twisted mind lies a twisted molecule" (Hippocrates).
The social model views mental illness as a result of social forces, e.g., "The cause of mental illness is the result of social forces" (Emile Durkheim).

Criticisms of the Medical Model

The medical model can be seen as simplistic, e.g., "Men mistake medicine for magic" (Thomas Szasz).
Madness cannot be found in a wild state, and it is not exclusive to certain conditions, such as autism or schizophrenia.

Mental Health Conditions

Anxiety Disorder

Panic attacks or anxiety are predominant in the clinical picture.
There are specific criteria for diagnosing anxiety disorder, including evidence from medical tests, and the disturbance must cause clinically significant distress or impairment.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Prevalence: 0.9% in the USA, 0.4-3.6% in other countries.
F is twice as likely as M, and the age of onset is around 30.
Rates of full remission are very low, and younger adults experience greater severity of symptoms than older adults.

Most common form of anxiety disorder.
Lifetime prevalence: 13.3%.
Women are far more likely to develop social anxiety disorder than men.
Age of onset: early adolescence.

Separation Anxiety Disorder

Developmentally inappropriate and excessive fear or anxiety concerning separation from attachment figures.
Recurrent excessive distress when anticipating or experiencing separation.
Persistent and excessive worry about losing attachment figures or experiencing harm.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

Rare, less than 1% of the population, with controversy regarding its existence.
5-9 times more common in women, with an age of onset usually in childhood but rarely diagnosed before adulthood.
Often co-occurs with depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and self-injury.

Schizophrenia

Hallucinations, delusions, diminished emotional expression, avolition, alogia, and anhedonia are symptoms.
DSM criteria include two or more symptoms for one month, with social/work dysfunction, and exclusion of other disorders.
Auditory hallucinations, delusional percept, passivity, and made affect are common symptoms.

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Description

This quiz covers the limitations of the medicalisation of mental health, including the reduction of individuals to symptoms, rigid cut-off points, and the implications of labelling and hospitalization.