Clinical Psychology

History of abnormality - Stone age

• Mental illness cause = evil spirits + angry ancestors

• Trephination

• Drilled holes in skulls = release angry spirits

History of abnormality - 400BCE

Four humours

• Greek doctor (Hippocrates)

• Mental illness = imbalance of body fluid

• Yellow bile, black bile, blood + phlegm

• Too much or little = different illnesses

• Treatment = based on lifestyle

• Diet, sleep + exercise

• Similar to today

History of abnormality - 11th century

Philosopher + doctor = Ibn Sina

• Developed 4 humours theory

• Linked mental + physical illness

• Influenced islamic + European medicine

• Shaped early ideas about psychiatry

• People still believed mental illness = caused by supernatural

Psychiatry

Biological basis of mental illness

History of abnormality - 8th-14th century

First mental asylums (705CE) in Mesopotamia

• Most across North Africa + Europe

• One of most famous = Bethlem (bedlam) hospital London (1547)

• Often overcrowded + poor conditions

• Women sent for not following social rules 

• Basic treatments 

History of abnormality - 19th + 20th century

• MH care began to improve

• Moral treatment

• Focus = respect + kindness to patients

• Asylums = cleaner, more open, encouraged to walk, rest, talk + do light work

• Caring staff

• Patients improved

• Helped understand psychogenic explanation of MI

Psychogenic explanation

Psychological (mental/emotional) causes of mental illness

History of abnormality - Today

• Rapid advancements (psychology + psychiatry)

• Development of therapies (CBT + psychoanalysis)

• Introduction of psychopharmacology

• Increased focus on destigmatisation + mental health awareness

HCPC

Organisation that requires practitioners to meet standards to be registered + allows patients to check credentials in UK

HCPC - Standards of proficiency

• Minimum expectations for psychologists to register

• Show commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion + sustainability

• Duty of candour (learn from + apologise for mistakes)

• Must be suitably qualified (graduate or postgraduate)

• Must be prepared for career path

CPD

Standards of continuing professional development

Standards of continuing professional development

• Fitness to practice

• People on records must keep detailed records of training 

• Have supervision sessions to show active engagement in improving practice

• Keeps knowledge + skills up to date + high standard

Standards of conduct, performance + ethics

10 standards - check psychologists’ credentials + ensure treatment + care is of high standard

• Report safety concerns

• Be open when things go wrong + apologise

• Keep records of work + keep secure

HCPC Evaluation - Improvement to historical treatment

• Historically = often mistreated or confined in asylums

• Had little regulation or accountability for practitioners

• HCPC ensures all professionals follow ethical guidelines, treat clients with dignity + provide care based on evidence + respect.

• Clear progress in protecting rights of vulnerable individuals

• Prevents abuse

• Promotes professional, person-centred care in modern practice

• Historical evidence = often from case studies

• Secondary sources

• May exaggerate poor treatment in past 

• Highlight progress in present

• Comparisons should be cautious

HCPC Evaluation - Accountability for practitioners

• Set clear guidelines on behaviours + CPD for professional practice

• Can investigate complaints against practitioners who don’t meet standards

• Ensures consistent quality of care 

• Helps maintain trust in professional services

• Protects public from malpractice

• Evidence = often self reported data form practitioners

• May lack objectivity + overstate how consistently standards are applied 

• Unable to generalise claims about effectiveness

HCPC Evaluation - Lengthy complaints procedures

- Can take months or years for HCPC to fully investigate complaint against practitioner

- Each case = multiple stages

- E.g initial screening, investigation + conduct hearing

- Delay causes stress + uncertainty for both

- May prevent issues being resolved quick enough to protect clients or restore practitioner confidence

- But most evidence about timescale = from case reviews + official reports

- May focus on complex + extreme cases

- Data may exaggerate length of time

HCPC Evaluation - Improves proffesional care, not stigma

- Even if healthcare proffesionals follow HCPC + treat patients fairly

- Research shows patients still face stigma + discrimination in society

- HCPC cannot fully prevent negative experiences of vulnerable individuals

- Improves proffesional standards but doesn’t change societal attitudes

- But most evidence = from self report surveys

- Influenced by SDB

- Patients may over report discriminatory behaviours

- Weakens reliability of conclusions about effectiveness of HCPC in reducing mistreatment