Psych Week 10 - Mental Disorders/Treatments

Somatogenic Hypothesis

Argues that mental disorders have physiological causes and can be diagnosed on the basis of symptoms, treated, or even cured.

Psychogenic Hypothesis

Argues that symptoms are caused by psychological processes

Biopsychosocial Model

A holistic approach that explains behavior by considering the interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors. It suggests that health and illness are not solely biological, but also influenced by psychological processes (like thoughts, feelings, and stress) and social context (like family, culture, and socioeconomic status). 

Diathesis-Stress Model

The Diathesis creates a predisposition toward a disorder, and the stress provides a trigger that sparks the disorder.

Mental Disorder

Dysfunctional patterns of thoughts, feelings or behaviors that interfere with daily life.

DSM-5

Diagnsotic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders

Anxiety Disorders (affects 15-20% of U.S. population)

Include panic disorder, agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and trauma and stress-related disorders.

Panic Disorder

Characterized by having unexpected panic attacks

Agoraphobia

A fear of being in situations in which help might not be available or escape might be difficult or embarrassing.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Characterized by continous and pervasive feelings of anxiety

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts that become obsessions which are sometimes accompanied by actions that become compulsions.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Condition that can develop after a person has experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, such as a natural disaster, accident, or violence. It's characterized by symptoms that can include intrusive memories, nightmares, and difficulty concentrating, among other things, and can significantly impact a person's daily life. 

Depression

Characterized by persistent sadness, loss of interest, and a significant decline in daily functioning. Symptoms can include changes in sleep, appetite, energy levels, concentration, and even thoughts of death or suicide. A diagnosis of major depressive disorder is given when an individual has experienced at least five signs of depression for more than two weeks.

Bipolar Disorder

Characterized by extreme and persistent shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels. These shifts can involve periods of intense elevation, irritability, or energy (mania or hypomania) and periods of intense sadness, hopelessness, or loss of interest (depression). 

Schizophrenia

Mental disorder that affects a person's ability to think clearly, manage emotions, and relate to others. It is characterized by disruptions in thought processes, perceptions, emotional responsiveness, and social interactions. Symptoms can include hallucinations, delusions,disorganized thinking and speech, and reduced motivation and social interaction.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

A rare disorder where a person exhibits two or more distinct and alternating identities.

Anorexia Nervosa

Eating disorder that invloves maintaining a starving diet that leads to abnormally low body weight. Efforts to maintain a low body weight are motivated by an intense fear of becoming fat, and distrubances in the way the body is experienced.

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that causes you to eat large amounts of food at one time (binge) and then get rid of it (purge).

Binge Eating Disorder

The consumption of large quantities of food in a short period of time, typically as part of an eating disorder.

Philippe Pinel

Philippe Pinel (1745-1826) was a pioneering French psychiatrist known for his humane treatment of individuals with mental health conditions.

William Tuke

William Tuke (1732-1822) was a British Quaker and philanthropist who founded the York Retreat, a mental asylum in York, England, in 1792. His work helped to shape the development of moral treatment, a psychological approach to mental health care. 

Psychotherapy

A form of treatment for mental health conditions that involves a trained professional using verbal and psychological techniques to help individuals change their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. (Talk Therapy)

Psychodynamic Therapy

Focuses on exploring unconscious processes and unresolved conflicts to understand their influence on current behavior. It aims to enhance self-awareness and promote emotional growth by examining childhood experiences, relationship patterns, and unconscious emotions. 

Carl Rogers

Rogers (1902–1987) is esteemed as one of the founders of humanistic psychology. He developed the person-centered, also known as client-centered, approach to psychotherapy.

Behavior Therapy

A type of psychotherapy that focuses on changing maladaptive behaviors by applying principles of learning. It aims to replace unwanted behaviors with healthier, more adaptive ones. This therapy is action-oriented, focusing on the observable behavior itself rather than delving into underlying psychological causes. 

Exposure Therapy

A behavioral therapy technique where individuals are systematically and repeatedly exposed to feared stimuli in a safe environment. The goal is to help them overcome their fears and anxieties by breaking the cycle of avoidance and desensitizing them to the feared stimulus over time. 

Cognitive Therapy

A type of psychotherapy focused on helping individuals identify and change unhelpful or distorted thought patterns to improve their emotional and behavioral well-being. It's based on the idea that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected, and changing negative or irrational thoughts can lead to positive changes in emotions and actions. 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

A form of psychotherapy that helps individuals identify and change unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors. It focuses on the present and aims to address current problems by modifying dysfunctional emotions, behaviors, and thoughts.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is defined as the intentional and non-judgmental attention to the present moment. It involves paying close attention to one's thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and external environment without getting caught up in them or reacting automatically. In essence, mindfulness is about cultivating an open and accepting attitude towards one's experiences, rather than judging or suppressing them.

Randomized Control Trial (RCT)

A research study design where participants are randomly assigned to either an experimental group (receiving a treatment or intervention) or a control group (receiving no treatment or a standard treatment). This design helps researchers determine if a particular intervention is effective by isolating the impact of the intervention from other potential factors.

Treatment Manual

Tells a therapist exactly how to proceed during a study

Meta-analysis

Combining results across multiple trials to see whether the treatment works

Propopents (Eclecticism)

Believe treatment should be based on a therapist’s judgement

Opponents (Eclecticism)

Believe it is critical that evidence based treatment is delivered with integrity

Eclecticism

Combines techniques and theories from various schools of thought to tailor treatment to the individual needs of a client. It's about avoiding strict adherence to a single theory and instead using the most effective methods from different perspectives. 

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to search, interpret, and recall information in a way that aligns with our pre-existing values, opinions, or beliefs

Illusory Correlation

Where an individual perceives a relationship between two events or variables when none exists, or the relationship is weaker than perceived.

Bias Blind Spot

The tendency for people to recognize biases in others, while simultaneously failing to recognize the same biases in themselves. Essentially, people are more likely to see others as being affected by bias, but less likely to see their own judgments as biased.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI’s)

Antidepressant medication used to treat depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders. They work by increasing the levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in mood regulation, in the brain. SSRIs are generally considered safe and effective, and they are often the first-line treatment for depression and anxiety

Mood Stabilizers

A class of psychiatric medications used to manage mood disorders, particularly bipolar disorder, by helping to reduce the intensity and frequency of mood swings, including manic and depressive episodes.

Anxyiolytics

Medications used to treat anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

Medical procedure involving controlled seizures induced by electricity, typically used to treat severe mental health conditions like depression and mania when other treatments have failed.

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)

Medical device treatment that uses rapidly changing magnetic fields to modulate brain activity. It involves applying repetitive magnetic pulses to a specific area of the brain, which induces electrical currents in the nerve cells, potentially altering their activity and communication

Deep Brain Simulation (DBS)

Electrodes are implanted in specific areas of the brain to treat neurological and psychiatric conditions. These electrodes generate electrical impulses that modulate brain activity, aiming to alleviate symptoms by disrupting or modulating abnormal neural circuits. DBS is often considered as a treatment option for conditions like treatment-resistant depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and other neuropsychiatric disorders.

Fact*

Only about 40% of those with clinically significant disorders had received treatment in the past year.

Fact*

One of the leading reasons those with mental or substance use disorder don’t seek treatment is a fear of needing to take medication.