AP Psychology Unit 5 - Treatment of Psychological Disorders

Psychotherapy

A treatment used to help individuals address and manage emotional, psychological, and behavioral challenges through structure conversations with a trained mental health professional

Meta-analytic studies found that psychotherapy is generally effective, especially when therapists use evidence based techniques, approach clients with cultural humility, and build a strong therapeutic bond

Evidence-Based Interventions

Therapists can apply approaches that are more likely to work, rather than relying on untested or outdated techniques. This is made possible with data gathered from meta analytic studies

Cultural Humility

This involves the therapist being respectful and open to the client’s cultural background, beliefs, and values, while acknowledging and valuing the differences between themselves and the client

Therapeutic Alliance

Refers to the trusting, collaborate relationship established between the therapist and the client

Psychotropic Medications

Medications that help manage symptoms that previously kept individuals in long-term psychiatric hospitals or asylums. They help affect mood, behavior, emotions, and cognitive processing

Deinstitutionalization Movement

The movement during the 1960s where psychiatric hospitals scaled back and focused more on reintegrating patients back into their communities.

This led to community-based support services like outpatient clinics, telehealth platforms, and group homes

Group Therapy

Therapy that involves several people meeting together with a therapist

Individual Therapy

One on one therapy with the patient and therapist. This allows for very specific feedback and in depth feedback in the patient.

This allows the patient to be more open, however it may be more expensive than group therapy

Ethical Guideline to Therapy: Nonmaleficence

The ethical guideline that is basically saying to do no harm to the patients physically, emotionally, or psychologically to the people they’re trying to help.

“Make them better, not worse.”

Ethical Guideline to Therapy: Fidelity

The ethical guideline where the therapist will remain trustworthy to the patient and will honor their commitments as a therapist

They will keep information shared to themselves confidential, unless there is a legal or ethical obligation

Ethical Guideline to Therapy: Integrity

The ethical guideline that the therapist must be fair, honest, and truthful. Psychologists must keep their patient informed, for example with communication, qualifications, and what to expect

Ethical Guideline to Therapy: Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity

The ethical guideline that the therapist must obtain informed consent from the client, who agrees to the treatment plan. Therapists should also be mindful about their patient’s gender, culture, religion, sexual orientation, etc

Hypnosis

A state of mind where someone has their attention focused, easier to sway, and are in deep relaxation.

It is effective in treating pain and anxiety. This can help them reframe how they perceive physical sensations.

If hypnosis is used to retrieve memories while asked leading questions, it can lead to false memories which may unintentionally suggest or implant details that did not actually happen.

Psychodynamic Therapies

These therapies are rooted in the idea that a person’s unconscious mind shapes their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors

Utilizes free association, which encourages patients to speak freely about any thoughts, words, or images that come to mind. This can uncover underlying themes, conflicts, or emotions

Utilizes dream interpretation, which analyzes the content of dreams which have manifest and latent content

• Manifest Content: storyline of dream

• Latent Content: deeper symbolic meaning that reflects hidden desires, fears, or conflicts

Cognitive Therapies

These therapies look at how maladaptive thinking can cause emotional and behavioral problems. It focuses on identifying negative thoughts, irrational beliefs, etc and uses cognitive restructuring to better mood, coping skills and mental health

• Cognitive Restructuring: A technique where therapists help a client recognize, challenge, and replace maladaptive thoughts with more realistic and positive ones

It also believes that people should focus on the cognitive triad, which is composed of the self, the world, and the future

Fear Hierarchy

A cognitive therapy technique to help patients with anxiety or phobias. It is a list of anxiety-provoking situations that is arranged from least frightening to most frightening

Behavior Analysis

Analysis that focuses on identifying different environmental factors, such as rewards, punishments, and reinforcements, influence behavior then uses those concepts to modify or improve an individual’s functions

Exposure Therapy

A type of therapy where the client is slowly being exposed to a feared stimulus while practicing relaxation techniques. Best used for treating phobias. Classical conditioning is being used by learning to associate that feared stimulus with something more calming

Systematic Desnsitization

A type of therapy, that is used to treat phobias where the exposure to feared stimuli becomes more apparent while learning relaxation techniques

Aversion Therapy

A type of therapy when unwanted behavior is paired with an unpleasant stimulus. The goal is to reduce unwanted behavior by adding a negative association.

This can be good for rehab

Token Economies

A practice used when therapists give clients tokens for displaying desired behaviors. They’re using operant conditioning by using positive reinforcement to reward good behavior

Biofeedback

Electronic monitoring used to display information about physiological processes, such as heart rate, blood pressure, brainwave activity, etc. Real time data can be collected so people can be more aware of their physiological responses and be able to help regulate them

Cognitive Behavioral Therapies

This combines both cognitive and behavioral therapies. The cognitive side involves identifying and challenging maladaptive thinking and replacing it with more balanced and realistic thoughts, The behavioral side involves introducing practical changes in behavior to help them implement healthier habits

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

The type of therapy that was originally used to treat borderline personality disorder, but is now used for a variety of disorders that involve emotional dysregulation. It helps clients improve coping skills, manage overwhelming emotions and improve communication and relationship skills