Treatment of Psychological Disorders Notes PDF

Treatment of psychological Disorders Biomedical Therapies Emphasis: approach mental disorder as disrupted or malfunctioning biological process Role of person administering treatment: alter patient’s bodily functions Biological Treatments Drugs (e.g., antipsychotic medication, anti-dep...

Treatment of psychological Disorders Biomedical Therapies Emphasis: approach mental disorder as disrupted or malfunctioning biological process Role of person administering treatment: alter patient’s bodily functions Biological Treatments Drugs (e.g., antipsychotic medication, anti-depressants) Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT): electrical current is passed through the brain; originally used to treat schizophrenia (ineffective at best, actively harmful at worst!) but now used to treat severe depression that hasn’t responded to other medication (has been shown to be effective) Deep brain stimulation (DBS) and Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS): non-surgical, non-invasive treatments that involve exciting or inhibiting neurons in the brain Serotonin and Depression Older view: depression is directly tied to serotonin levels in the brain Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) ○ Most common anti-depressant medication ○ Blocks reuptake of serotonin from the synapse back into the pre-synaptic neuron Newer view: serotonin is more likely one small contributor in a much more complex network of brain circuit interactions Serotonin and Depression Analogy → If someone is cold because their furnace broke during the winter, then giving them a coat will help them be warmer but that doesn’t actually fix the furnace In this metaphor, SSRIs are the winter coat; they do provide symptom relief, but that doesn’t mean the real problem is low levels of serotonin Psychotherapy Common factors ○ Therapists provide support, hope, and motivation ○ Address maladaptive thoughts or behaviors Types ○ Psychodynamic ○ Behavioral ○ Cognitive Psychodynamic Therapy Emphasis ○ Unconscious influence on thoughts and behavior Conflicts between sexual or aggressive drives vs. beliefs and social norms Childhood events Therapist’s role ○ Encourages patient to make conscious the unconscious drives and motivations ○ Interprets free associations, dreams, etc. Cognitive Therapy  Emphasis ○ Consciously alter maladaptive thoughts and beliefs ○ Activating events>beliefs>consequence Therapist’s role ○ Directs client to identify maladaptive thoughts and reinterpret them ○ Moves client from dependence to independence Behavioral Therapy Emphasis ○ Replace maladaptive with adaptive behaviors ○ Focus on learning via conditioning Therapist’s role ○ Help patient identify rewards for maladaptive behaviors ○ Change client’s environment