Psychology: The Medical Model

Questions and Answers

What does the medical model view mental health disorders as?

A biological malfunction or disruption.

What can dysfunctional behavior be explained by?

Too much or not enough of a particular neurotransmitter or enzyme.

What is involved in the biochemical explanation of schizophrenia?

Dopamine.

What does the biological approach say about disorders?

Disorders are due to the phenotype, not the genotype. Signup and view all the answers

What are observable physical and behavioral characteristics known as?

Phenotype. Signup and view all the answers

What is the total genetic makeup of an individual called?

Genotype. Signup and view all the answers

What do adoption studies compare?

The rates of any disorder between adopted children and both their biological and adoptive parents. Signup and view all the answers

What does current thinking suggest about the genetic influence on schizophrenia?

There is a genetic influence rather than a genetic cause. Signup and view all the answers

What brain abnormalities can be associated with schizophrenia?

Enlargement of ventricles and abnormalities in the ventral striatum. Signup and view all the answers

What does the concept of brain abnormalities suggest?

If areas of the brain are damaged or not functioning normally, it can cause abnormal behavior. Signup and view all the answers

What was the aim of Gottesman's research?

To investigate the likelihood of developing severe mental health disorders when one or both parents had them. Signup and view all the answers

What was the participant sample in Gottesman's study?

2.6 million people in Denmark, aged 10 years or over. Signup and view all the answers

What method did Gottesman use for his research?

Field experiment. Signup and view all the answers

What percentage risk was observed for couples both diagnosed with schizophrenia in Gottesman's study?

27.3%. Signup and view all the answers

What conclusion did Gottesman draw from his research?

If both parents suffered from a severe mental illness, there is a higher likelihood of developing a related disorder. Signup and view all the answers

What do atypical antipsychotics like Clozapine do?

Reduce both the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of typical antipsychotics like Haloperidol?

Reduces the positive symptoms but has little effect on the negative symptoms. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Medical Model of Mental Health

Views mental disorders as biological malfunctions akin to physical illnesses, emphasizing that treatment should mirror physical health strategies.
Key factors include biochemical imbalances, genetic predispositions, and brain abnormalities.

Biochemical Overview

The nervous system contains billions of neurons that transmit information. Dysfunctional behaviors can result from imbalances in neurotransmitters or enzymes.

Schizophrenia and Biochemistry

The dopamine hypothesis posits excess dopamine activity in synapses as a primary factor in schizophrenia, leading to symptoms like auditory hallucinations.

Genetic Explanation of Mental Disorders

Disorders are viewed as resultant from phenotype (observable traits) rather than genotype (genetic makeup). Genetic vulnerabilities rather than direct inheritance of disorders like schizophrenia are emphasized.

Phenotype vs. Genotype

Phenotype refers to observable characteristics, while genotype constitutes the total genetic makeup influencing those characteristics.

Adoption Studies and Genetics

Adoption studies compare disorder rates between adopted children and their biological/adoptive parents to assess genetic influence. Higher rates linked to biological parents suggest a genetic component.

Schizophrenia and Genetic Influence

Current theories support genetic influence rather than direct genetic causation of schizophrenia; sharing more genetic material with affected individuals increases schizophrenia risk.

Brain Abnormalities in Schizophrenia

Observed abnormalities include enlarged ventricles and dysfunction in the ventral striatum, especially relating to negative symptoms like avolition.

General Brain Abnormalities

Damage or irregular functioning in certain brain areas can lead to abnormal behaviors.

Gottesman Study: Aim, Method, and Participants

Aimed to evaluate the risk of severe mental health disorders in individuals with affected parents.
Included 2.6 million Danes (aged 10+) and studied 196 couples diagnosed with severe disorders.

Gottesman Study: Procedure

Utilized a national register-based cohort study from the Danish Civil Registration System linking participants to their parents.
Collected data included participants' age, sex, vital status, and psychiatric admissions since 1970.

Gottesman Study: Results

Risk of schizophrenia was 27.3% in couples where both parents were affected.
A single affected parent resulted in a 7% risk, whereas no affected parents presented a 0.48% risk.

Gottesman Study: Conclusions

If both parents have severe mental illness, the likelihood of offspring developing similar disorders increases, supporting the genetic link to mental health issues.

Treatment: Atypical Antipsychotics

Newer medications like Clozapine are effective in reducing both positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

Treatment: Typical Antipsychotics

Older medications such as Haloperidol primarily address positive symptoms with limited impact on negative symptoms.

Drug Therapy Mechanism

Schizophrenics experience excess dopamine release and increased receptor activity which can be targeted through pharmacological interventions.

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Description

Explore the medical model of psychology which frames mental health disorders as biological malfunctions. This quiz delves into the biochemical, genetic, and brain abnormalities linked to these disorders, helping you understand their treatment and implications.