Unit 3 Issues in Mental Health Topic 2 The Medical Model Flashcards
What is the biochemical explanation of depression?
What is the treatment?
Levels of serotonin too low, and so may be absorbed back into the presynaptic nerve cell too soon. Therefore message doesn’t pass effectively across the synapse. Body isn’t responding in an appropriate way to a happy stimuli.
Balance out the levels of serotonin. Block the reuptake of serotonin.
What is the biochemical explanation of schizophrenia?
What is the treatment?
Serotonin too high, so overload of dopamine reaches post-synaptic nerve cells.
Block the receptors.
What is the genetic explanation of mental health in terms of genes from parents?
Genetic transmission. Since its half/half genes from each parent, could show tendency but for a parent not to.
However, concordance rates aren’t 100% so environmental factors must play some part.
What is the genetic explanation of mental health in terms of evolutionary theory?
We have inherited traits which give us an evolutionary advantage on our chances of survival (i.e.) Phobias
What is a treatment of mental health in terms of the genetic explanation?
Embryo manipulation to reduce the inheritance of genetic disorders is in the early stages of research.
What is the explanation for depression in terms of brain abnormality?
Stress leads to high cortisol, which can destroy hippocampal cells= not able to respond to stimulation properly.
What is the explanation for schizophrenia in terms of brain abnormality?
Thinner parahippocampal cortices (involved in episodic memory).
What is the treatment for mental health issues based on the explanation of brain abnormalities?
Drug therapy to control activity in different parts of the brain.
Surgery may also be used in some cases.
What was the aim of Gottesman et al.’s study?
To investigate the probability of a child being diagnosed with a mental disorder if either or both parents had it.
What was the sample of Gottesman et al.’s study?
Sample was anyone (2.7 million) in Denmark with clear link to biological parents. Four groups: both, either, none, admitted with a diagnosis and the general public (where no data was available).
What were the findings of Gottesman et al.’s study?
Both parents with schizophrenia is 27.3%, and no parents is 0.86%.
What was the conclusion from Gottesman et al.’s study?
Where both parents had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital with schizophrenia or bi-polar disorder, their offspring are at ‘super-high risk’ of being admitted with a disorder themselves.
Outline drug therapy as a treatment for mental health issue.
Aims to restore normal levels of neurotransmitter action (i.e.) SSRIs block the reuptake of serotonin by the presynaptic neuron, which means more serotonin in the synapse, which increases the likelihood of sufficient serotonin reaching postsynaptic receptor and triggering electrical impulse to continue down neural pathway.
Outline brain stimulation as a treatment for mental health issues.
Electroconvulsive therapy- uses electrodes to trigger a epileptic seizure and ‘jump-starts’ the brain.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation- electromagnetic coll is held against the forehead, and magnetic field travels through the skull, the aim being to create small electrical currents in the brain that spread to underlying deeper areas involved in emotional regulation and normalise neural networks.
