Ch 11 - Jeff Standen

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Chapter 11 ( Summary" 1 The biological model classifies psychological disorders in terms of their symptoms. It assumes that psychological disorders have a biological basis. It states that the presence of certain genes can predispose individuals to psychological disorders. An imbalance of chemicals in the nervous system and endocrine system is seen as a major cause of psychological disorders. v. CD CD Drug treatments which alter the body's biochemistry are seen as one of the main treatments for psychological disorders. Evidence to support the biological model is inconclusive. The complexities of brain chemistry and human genetics are only partially understood. Many researchers argue that biological factors are only part of the picture. They must be seen in a wider context, as the diathesis-stress model suggests. Activity 1 The biological model f^SSEK Twins and psychological disorders ) 'Magic bullets' The bar chart shows the likelihood of twins having the same psychological disorder. Identical or monozygotic twins have the same genes. Fraternal or dizygotic twins share around 50% of their genes. The concordance level refers to the extent to which twins share a particular 1.0-1 0.8- 0.6- 0.4- 0.2- U Identical twins j • Fraternal twins j characteristic - in this case a psychological disorder. If the concordance level is 1, then each pair of twins in the study share a particular characteristic. Adapted from Sarason & Sarason, 1996 Questions 1 a) What support for the biological model is provided by Item A? b) Suggest an alternative explanation for the findings shown in Item A. 2 Not all psychiatrists are as optimistic about Prozac as Kramer in Item B. Briefly outline the case for and against drug treatment. Sometimes known as 'magic bullets' because of their shape and the belief in their curative powers, Prozac has been prescribed to millions of people worldwide. Prozac is extremely popular with many psychiatrists and people suffering from depression. In a book entitled Listening to Prozac (1993), Peter Kramer, an American psychiatrist, claims that Prozac not only reduced some of his patients' symptoms of depression, it also transformed their personalities and behaviour. He describes the case of Tess. 'Within weeks of starting Prozac, Tess settled into a satisfying dating routine. I'd never seen a patient's social life reshaped so rapidly and dramatically. Low self-worth and poor interpersonal skills - the usual causes of social awkwardness - are so deeply ingrained and difficult to influence that ordinarily change comes gradually, if ever. But Tess blossomed all at once.' Despite this glowing report, there is evidence that Prozac may have harmful effects in certain cases. This evidence indicates possible links with violence and suicidal tendencies. For example, a 63-year-old man from Cornwall suffocated his wife and threw himself off a cliff in 1996. He had been taking Prozac for eleven days. His family blames the drug and has issued court proceedings against the manufacturers. Adapted from Kramer, 1993 and Boseley, 1999
Models of abnormality ( Unit 3 The psychodynamic model of abnormality J KEY ISSUES 1. What are the main features of the psychodynamic model? 2. How does the psychodynamic model approach the treatment of psychological disorders? Main features of the psychodynamic model The psychodynamic model of abnormality was the first major challenge to the dominance of the biological model since the days of Pinel and 'moral treatment'. Early contributions to the psychodynamic approach were made in France in the late 19th century by hypnotists like Jean Martin Charcot who worked at the Salpetriere in Paris, Pinel's old hospital. In the 1880s, a Viennese doctor named Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) studied in Paris under Charcot. Drawing initially on the ideas of the French hypnotists, Freud went on to launch his own approach, psychoanalysis, 1890s. in the Over the years, Freud attracted followers, many of whom eventually broke away and developed their own approaches. The term psychodynamic refers to psychoanalysis and its various offshoots. Despite their differences, the psychodynamic theories have certain things in common. our desires and impulses. It is entirely selfish and operates on the pleasure principle, concerned only with the gratification of its desires. • The conscious mind or Ego (Latin for 'I'). This develops from the Id and is fully formed round about the age of 2 years. It works on the reality principle and is concerned with keeping our thoughts and actions in step with the real world and society. • The Superego (Latin for 'above-l'), which contains our moral values - the ego ideal (what we would like to be) and the conscience (what we feel we ought to be). The Superego is formed around the age of 5 or 6 and regulates our thoughts and actions morally. If the Id's cry is 'I want', the Superego says 'Thou shalt not', and the job of the Ego is to try to cope with their conflicting demands, as well as all the awkward restrictions imposed by reality and society. Innate drives Freud saw human beings as motivated by innate or inborn drives. These drives take the form of impulses and desires and are rooted in the Id. Much of their activity remains on an unconscious level. Freud (1920; 1923) identified two main drives. The first is Eros, the life drive (named after the Greek god of love), the active ingredient of which is the libido (Latin for lust'), the appetite for sensual and sexual pleasure. The second is Thanatos, the aggressive drive (named after the Greek god of death), which gives rise to our feelings of aggression towards others and towards the self. • They see the mind as active and complex, with some important mental processes operating unconsciously. • They see psychological disorders as arising from some kind of mental conflict. • The preferred form of treatment is the 'talking cure', encouraging the patient to talk through their problems, fantasies and fears to uncover the underlying mental conflicts. Qffi Sigmund Freud and psych oanalysis Freud's psychoanalysis is the most important of the psychodynamic theories. Freud's ideas developed and changed over time, becoming more complex as they progressed. The main ideas are as follows. The psyche In Freudian psychoanalysis, the mind, or psyche, is seen as being governed by three main mental processes - innate drives, reason and morality. Freud (1923) divided the psyche into three parts. • The unconscious mind or Id (Latin for 'it'). This is the largest part of the psyche. It is innate and is the source of 159
Page 1 and 2: Introduction The last chapter looke
Page 3 and 4: Models of abnormality Kraepelin (18
Page 5: - M Models of abnormality diathesis
Page 9 and 10: Models of abnormality John Bowlby's
Page 11 and 12: The psychodynamic model The psyche
Page 13 and 14: odels of abnormality This often inv
Page 15 and 16: Unit 5 The humanistic model of abno
Page 17 and 18: Consider the following 'irrational
Page 19 and 20: syndromes - psychological disorders
Page 21: c American Psychiatric Association

Ch 11 - Jeff Standen

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