PSYCH: Treating Psychological Disorders

Deinstitutionalization (1950s-1960s)

Movement of large numbers of psychiatric inpatients from their care facilities back into regular society

Community Psychology

Focuses on identifying how an individual’s mental health is influenced by their community

Barriers to Psychological Treatment

Difficulty defining or recognizing a disorder, stigma associated with mental illness, skepticism surrounding treatment, gender roles, cultural barriers, geographical barriers, financial barriers

Insight Therapies

General term referring to therapy that involves dialogue between patient and therapist for the purpose of gaining awareness and understanding of psychological problems and conflicts (formally began with psychoanalysis by Freud)

Psychoanalysis

Intended to help patients become aware of their unconscious urges

Modern Psychodynamic Therapies

Focuses on the patient’s conscious experience rather than their unconscious experience

Object Relations Therapy

Variation of psychodynamic therapy that focuses on how early childhood experiences and emotional attachments influence later psychological functioning.

Humanistic-Existential Psychotherapy

Both Humanistic and Existential therapies focus on helping people express their authentic selves, overcome alienation, become more loving, take responsibility for their experience

Humanistic Therapies

Focus on removing the obstacles that prevent self-actualization from occurring naturally

Existential Therapies

Believes facing painful, fearful, and negative experiences important for achieving self-actualization

Client-Centered Therapy

focuses on individuals abilities to solve their own problems ad reach their full potential with the encouragement of the therapist

Behavioural Therapies

Attempt to directly address problem behaviours and the environmental factors that trigger them. Use principles of classical and operant conditioning to change behaviour.

Systematic Desensitization

Gradual exposure to a feared stimulus or situation is coupled with relaxation training.

Flooding

Exposing client to the most challenging, anxiety inducing aspect of the behaviour/situation

Cognitive-Behavioural Therapies (CBT)

Form of therapy that consists of procedures such as cognitive restructuring, stress inoculation training, and exposure to experiences they may tend to avoid. Focusing on helping clients recognize their thoughts, emotions, and behavioural patterns in order to build more functional cognitive and behavioural habits.

Internal attributions

Blaming oneself excessively for negative things that happen

Stable attributions

Assuming that situations are permanent and irreversible

Global attributions

Assuming that results of one negative event will apply to all aspects of a person’s life

Group Therapy

Grouping people together based on similar issues. Participants benefit from bonding and support provided by other group members.

Family Therapy

Helpful when a client’s difficulties are reinforced by unhealthy dynamics within the family.

System Approach

Views an individuals symptoms as being influenced by multiple interacting systems (e.g., family and friend dynamics, etc.)

Biomedical Approach

Involves using drugs, surgery, or other medical procedures to alter central nervous system functioning or correct problems thought to be biological in nature

Psychopharmacotherapy

Use of drugs to manage or reduce symptoms. Usually paired with another for of therapy (CBT).

Antidepressants

Medication designed to reduce symptoms of depression

Manoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MOAIs)

Deactivates monoamine oxidase (MOA) (an enzyme that breaks down serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine in the synpase) → Results in increased amounts of these neurotransmitters

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI)

Blocks the reuptake of serotonin, leaving larger amounts in the synapse

Anti-anxiety Drugs

Influence of the GABA (inhibitory neurotransmitter that reduces neural activity)

Antipsychotic Drugs

Used to treat symptoms of psychosis, including delusions, hallucinations, and disturbed or disorganized thought. First generation associated with side effects like seizures and movement disorders. Second generation target dopamine and serotonin transmission.

Modern Focal Lesioning Surgery

Small areas of brain tissue that are surgically destroyed. Only performed in extreme cases.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

Passing an electrical current though the brain in order to induce a temporary seizure. May alter the activity of certain networks in the brain and has been shown to promote neurogenesis in the hippocampus.

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)

Exposes a particular area of the brain to a powerful magnetic field to either stimulate or inhibit brain activity in that region. Stimulation of the left prefrontal cortex (positive emotional experiences) and inhibition of the right prefrontal cortex (negative emotional experiences) associated with improvement of the depressive symptoms.

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

Involves electrical stimulation of a specific brain region using thin electrodes that are carefully inserted into the brain.

Phenomenological approach

Addresses the clients feelings and thoughts as they unfold in the present moment (a part of humanistic-existential therapies)