Mental Illness - Exam 1

What is co-morbidity?

Many disorders occur alongside another disorder

How do sociologists examine mental illness?

• Examine mental illness from a group perspective

  • Do certain groups suffer from mental illness more than other groups?

• Examine what social factors or conditions are related to mental health and illness

Broad definition of mental illness

any experience or behavior that results in mental suffering or mental dysfunction

Narrow definition of mental illness

Clear, highly specific behaviors that are undesirable

What are the 3 criteria to define mental illness from a clinical perspective?

• Condition that is primarily psychological and that alters behavior, including changes in physiological functioning

• In its “full blown” state is associated with subjective stress, a generalized impairment in social functioning, and behavior that one would like to stop

• Is different from other conditions and responds to treatment

What are the 3 criteria that must be met to establish cause and effect?

• Association: there must be a relationship between what is causing the outcome and the outcome itself or the effect

• Non-spuriousness: Must eliminate other explanations or influential factors

• Temporal order: the cause that must come before the effect in time

Primitive cultures believed mental illness to be the result of 1 of 4 possibilities

• A person was sick because they lost a vital substance from their body

• Had a foreign substance introduced into their body 

• Had violated a taboo and were being punished 

• Were victims of witchcraft

What is gene therapy?

Gene therapy is a technique that modifies a person's genes to treat or cure disease

Social Stratification

The structured ranking of groups that are arranged in a hierarchy, based on a social status

Social inequality

The unequal distribution of wealth, power and prestige among members of a society

Income

Consists of salary or wages

Prestige

The honor people are given because of their membership in certain social groups

Wealth

Material assets, investments, and property. Wealth, unlike income, can be passed down from parent

Power

The ability to exercise one’s will over others

SES

A measure of an individual’s place within a social class system

Social Causation

Economic disadvantage, environmental and social problems, and stress are associated with a low SES, which is associated to the development of psychological disorders

Social selection

Genetic or environmental factors lead to psychiatric disorders, which leads to a “downward drift” in SES

Johnson et al: Which disorders were found to support causation?

Anxiety, depression, disruptive and personality disorders

Johnson et al. Which disorders were found to support selection?

Disruptive disorders and substance abuse disorders

What are the three components of the Stress Process Model

• Sources of stress or stressors

• Mediators of stress and/or moderators of stress

• Manifestations of stress or stress outcomes

Define mediator

variables that link the stressors with the outcome

Define moderator

 the other variables that might reduce the impact of stress on illness or increase the impact of stress on illness

What are discrete/life events?

Occurrence of discrete events and continuous problems or chronic strains that occur as part of social roles

Examples of discrete/life events

• Number of events

• Impact

• Desirability

• Was event scheduled

What are chronic strains?

Poverty, continued unemployment, marital dissatisfaction, ongoing poor health

What are the resources people use to defend against stress from life events and strains?

Moderating/mediating resources

Social Support

Access to and utilizing family, friends, other groups and organizations to help combat stress

Coping

Modification of the situation; modification of the meaning of the problem/event/strain; management of symptoms

Mastery

How much people see themselves as being in control of their lives

Self-esteem:

Judgment one makes about his/her self-worth

What is instrumental support?

The ability of others to provide help, such as financial resources or time

What is emotional support?

Relations characterized by love, caring, trust, and intimacy

What is the Id?

fulfills the pleasure principle

What is ego?

fulfills the reality principle

What is superego?

Develops as children internalize parental values. It is a part of the personality that is ideal

What 3 sources do the ego’s defenses come from?

• The id goes into overdrive to the point that it overpowers the ego to achieve gratification

• The superego punishes the ego because it did not control the id through guilt

• External danger that threatens the ego

What is the Antipsychiatric Model?

• Mental disorder is not an illness

• Mental illness is a behavior

What is quantitative research?

Involves a numerical data, or data that is quantifiable

Qualitative

involve work with non-numerical data such as narratives, diaries, field notes from observations, interviews, photographs, or videos

Be familiar with the 6 steps of the scientific method

• Define the problem

• Review the literature

• Formulate the hypothesis

• Select a research design

• Collect and analyze data

• Develop a conclusion

Define hypothesis

 A theoretical statement about the relationship between two or more variables

Independent variable

Causes or influences the change in the dependent variable

Dependent variable

Are changed or caused by an independent variable

Survey

A study in the form of a questionnaire that provides researchers with information about how people think and act

Experiments

conducted in an artificially created lab that allows for the manipulation of variables

Secondary analysis

A secondary analysis refers to a research technique that makes use of previously  and publicly available information and data. It can be qualitative or quantitative

What are the 3 types of surveys?

• Random sampling: Every member of the population being studied has the same chance of being selected

• Convenience sample: Sample from people who are available at a certain time

• Snowball sampling: Recruit participants by word of mouth or through postings on a bulletin board or on the internet

Difference between control group and experimental group

• Control group: does not receive any type of manipulation/treatment

• Experimental group: receives treatment/manipulation

Convenience sample

Sample from people who are available at a certain time

Random sample

Every member of the population being studied has the same chance of being selected

What is the most common diagnosed disorder in the US?

Anxiety disorder

What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?

Stems from experience with or exposure to an extremely traumatic eventa

What are dissociative disorders

Involve a sudden and temporary loss of motor behavior, consciousness, or identity

What disorders included in Cluster A

• Paranoid personality

• Schizoid personality

• Schizotypal personality

What disorders included in Cluster B

• Antisocial personality

• Borderline personality disorder

• Histrionic personality disorder

• Narcissistic personality disorder

What disorders included in Cluster B

• Avoidant personality disorder

• Dependent 

• Obsessive-compulsive

7 Phases - Alienation from Place 1/7

1. Alienation from one’s role and position in one’s social network or networks

7 phases - Recognizing Symptoms 2/7

1. Person and others can only recognize that there is a psychological disturbance by the presence or absence of symptoms

2. Once the person cannot control the symptoms through personal efforts = realization of being mentally ill becomes more likely

7 phases - Disorder as a way to cope 3/7

The disorder will likely direct how the person copes because the disorder has more control over the person’s thoughts and feelings

7 Phases - The definitive outburst 4/7

1. Person who is mentally ill openly expresses their definition of the situation

2. When others do not understand the behavior of the person with the disorder = person will be labeled as mentally ill

7 phases - Rendering of accounts 5/7

Mentally ill person offering an explanation for this or her behavior

7 phases - the paradox of normalcy 6/7

1. The mental disorder is ongoing and the person’s remedial or negative accounts are rejected by others

2. The disorder becomes normal- or normal for the one with the mental illness

7 Phases - Removal from place 7/7

1. Removal occurs when the mentally ill person’s behavior becomes very disruptive or harmful and dangerous

2. The mentally ill person may leave their place and move to a new place, or they may voluntarily seek inpatient psychiatric care

Structural

Large-scale societal processes affect entire groups in society

Agency

People choose their behaviors based on their situation. Focuses on social interactions

Egoistic

• Divorce, loss of social network from divorce, loss of kids

  • Most common in the US

Anomic

• Sudden change occurs where ones values and norms change and life becomes drastically different

• Sudden loss of wealth

Altruistic

• Social failure or bringing shame to one’s self and family can prompt suicide

• Common in Japan

Brenner Provocation hypothesis

Vulnerability

Brenner uncovering hypothesis

Exposed

Labeling theory: What is primary deviance?

A person acts differently, but it is not seen as characteristic of that person

Labeling theory: Secondary deviance

Person continues to behave in ways that violate social norms to the point that the person is seen as that behavior, or a deviant

What is the Social Learning Perspective?

Mental disorder is viewed as learned behaviors that form as a result of trying to cope with a adapt to one’s environment