Week 12 Summary - Brain and Behaviour PDF

Week 12: Psychological disorders and treatment Focus Every society has its own concept of 'madness'. What is 'normal' is always changing. Labelling theory may explain some of what the news and society say about 'crazy' people. This is the field of psychopathology. There are some approaches to under...

Week 12: Psychological disorders and treatment Focus Every society has its own concept of 'madness'. What is 'normal' is always changing. Labelling theory may explain some of what the news and society say about 'crazy' people. This is the field of psychopathology. There are some approaches to understanding and categorising psychological disorders and addiction, which can guide diagnosis. This helps us draw the line between normal behaviour and having a psychological disorder, and helps us understand why some people are more susceptible to addiction than others. This week we will define psychopathology and describe the theoretical approaches to explaining psychological disorders and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) categories. You will also look at psychological disorders, and approaches used to explain and diagnose them. You will investigate the role of the psychologist in treating disorders and the different approaches used. Key objectives By the end of this week you should be able to: • define psychopathology • explain the cultural context of psychopathology • define mental health, mental health problems, and mental disorders • differentiate between the contemporary approaches to psychopathology • understand the classification and diagnostic categories outlined in the latest edition of the DSM • outline the key symptoms of some of the major psychopathological syndromes • describe key principles and techniques of the following therapeutic approaches: o psychodynamic o cognitive-behavioural o humanistic o group and family therapies • discuss research that has evaluated pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy in terms of effectiveness and efficacy. Psychopathology Relevant Objectives • define psychopathology • explain the cultural context of psychopathology • mental health problems, and mental disorders define mental health, Psychopathology refers to problematic patterns of thought, feeling or behaviour that lead to disrupted functioning and cause distress to that person or others. Psychopathology varies between and within cultures, but all cultures have some concept of mental illness A key question in the area of psychopathology is whether there can be discreet categories that distinguish between normal and abnormal behaviour. Video CrashCourse - Psychological Disorders Contemporary approaches to understanding psychopathology Relevant Objectives • differentiate between the contemporary approaches to psychopathology • describe key principles and techniques of the following therapeutic approaches: o psychodynamic o cognitive-behavioural o humanistic o group and family therapies Psychologists differ in the ways they conceptualise the nature and cause of psychological disorders through the application of perspectives such as the following: 1. the psychodynamic perspective—distinguishes three classes of psychopathology: neuroses, personality disorders and psychoses 2. the cognitive-behavioural perspective—combines cognitive (i.e. dysfunctional attitudes, beliefs and cognitive processes) with behavioural (i.e. conditioned emotional responses) components 3. the biological perspective—seeks the roots of psychopathology in terms of brain circuitry 4. the systems perspective—views psychopathology through the context of social groups e.g. families 5. the evolutionary perspective—suggests psychopathology reflects genetic variation and adaptive mechanisms gone awry. Diagnosing psychopathology Relevant Objectives • understand the classification and diagnostic categories outlined in the latest edition of the DSM • the key symptoms of some of the major psychopathological syndromes outline The descriptive approach to diagnosis aims to be atheoretical, meaning it is not biased toward any one perspective on psychopathology. Abnormality is reflected in discrete symptoms, which fall into clusters known as syndromes. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 (DSM-5) is a way of classifying mental disorders. The DSM-5 was released in 2013, so many textbooks prior to this still refer to the DSM-IV. Video Interview with DSM Categories of psychological disorders Relevant Objectives • outline the key symptoms of some of the major psychopathological syndromes Major diagnostic categories, as defined by DSM-5, include: 1. childhood disorders—e.g. ADHD, conduct disorder 2. substance related disorders—e.g. alcoholism and drug abuse 3. schizophrenia—umbrella term for a number of psychotic disorders 4. mood disorders—includes mania, depression, and bipolar disorder 5. anxiety disorders—e.g. phobias, panic disorders, and post traumatic stress 6. eating disorders—e.g. anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa 7. somatoform disorders—where people without physical problems complain of pain e.g. hypochondriasis 8. dissociative disorders—disruptions in consciousness, memory or sense of identity 9. personality disorders—chronic disturbances that inhibit an individual’s capacity to love and work Essential readings Chapter 14 Psychological disorders. Bernstein et al. • Chapter 14 introduction(Links to an external site.) • 1 Defining and explaining psychological disorders(Links to an external site.) • 2 Classifying psychological disorders(Links to an external site.) Psychotherapy treatments Relevant Objectives • differentiate between the contemporary approaches to psychopathology • describe key principles and techniques of the following therapeutic approaches: o psychodynamic o cognitive-beha vioural o humanistic o group and family therapies Mental health services provided within clinical psychology Clinical psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses on the assessment and treatment of psychological disorders. The practice of clinical psychology draws heavily on the scientist–practitioner model, which emphasises the importance of scientific evidence in informing clinical practice. With the move away from institutionalised care to community-based care, the provision of multidisciplinary teams through health services has increased. Psychologists often work in these teams alongside social workers, nurses and psychiatrists. Explore: Psychotherapy Relevant Objectives • differentiate between the contemporary approaches to psychopathology • describe key principles and techniques of the following therapeutic approaches: o psychodynamic o cognitive-behavioural o humanistic o group and family therapies Video Crash Course - Getting Help Principles and techniques of therapeutic approaches Relevant Objectives • differentiate between the contemporary approaches to psychopathology • describe key principles and techniques of the following therapeutic approaches: o psychodynamic o cognitive-behavioural o humanistic o group and family therapies Treatment approaches used by psychologists vary, most notably in perceived causal and maintenance factors, characteristics of the therapist–client alliance, and types of treatment. Important treatment approaches include: • psychodynamic therapies—the goal of therapy is to gain insight into unconscious conflicts that induce anxiety • cognitive-behavioural therapies—use classical conditioning techniques to focus on associations between stimuli and emotions • humanistic therapies—focus on the ways individuals consciously experience self, relationships and the world • group and family therapies—multiple groups work together to meet therapeutic goals. Biological treatments Biological treatments differ from the interpersonal approaches previously described. Such treatments arise from the view that psychological disorders reflect pathology of the brain, and these treatments can only be administered by physicians. Video CrashCourse - Biomedical Treatments Some examples of biological treatments are: • pharmacotherapy—the use of psychotropic drugs that work on the brain to alter mental functions • electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)—the intentional induction of a brain seizure by shock • psychosurgery—surgery intended to cause damage to the brain to alter behaviour. The following lists is a range of medication types and examples that are used as biomedical treatments for various symptoms. Psychotropic Medications List is by - Symptom; Type of medication; Examples. • Psychosis; Antipsychotics; Chlorpromazine (Thorazine, Largactil) and Clozapine (Clozaril). • Depression; Tricyclic antidepressants; Mianserin (Tolvon) and Amitriptyline (Tryptanol, Amitrol). • Depression; MAO inhibitors; Imipramine (Tofranil). • Depression; Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors; Phenelzine (Nardil), Fluoxetine (Prozac), Paroxentine (Aropax) and Sertaline (Zoloft). • Depression; Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors; Venlafaxine (Effexor), Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), and Duloxetine (Cymbalta). • Mania; Mood stabilisers; Lithium (Lithicarb). • Anxiety; Anxiolitics and Antidepressants; Benzodiazepines (Valium and Xanax), Fluoxetine (Prozac). Evaluating treatments A difficulty in evaluating psychological treatments lies in the definition of success. Research needs to consider the length and cost of treatment, symptom reduction and relapse rates. Two types of studies used for evaluating treatments are: • efficacy studies—assess treatment outcomes under controlled experimental conditions • effectiveness studies—assess treatments as practised by clinicians. Essential readings Chapter 14 Psychological disorders. Bernstein et al. The relevant sections are: • 3 Approaches to treatment of psychological disorders(Links to an external site.) • 4 Biological treatments(Links to an external site.) • 5 Community psychology: From treatment to prevention(Links to an external site.) • Chapter summary and activities(Links to an external site.)